Biography
Hailing from Easton, Pennsylvania, guitarist Greg Howe injected welcome vitality into the late-1980s torrent of harmonic-minor specialists issuing from Shrapnel Records. Whereas most post-Yngwie Malmsteen shredders leaned into neo-classical drama, Howe introduced funk and groove elements that had been conspicuously absent. He built experience performing with the band Duke throughout the Easton and Allentown club scene during the 1980s, sharing the stage with his brother Al on lead vocals. An instrumental demo reached Mike Varney, the label’s founder and talent scout, resulting in a 1987 contract with Shrapnel.
The instrumental debut Greg Howe, recorded with bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Atma Anur, appeared in 1988 and earned strong praise. Under the Howe 2 name, High Gear arrived next as a full-band project styled after Van Halen and featuring Al Howe on vocals. After the group disbanded following the more radio-oriented 1990 release Now Hear This, Howe resumed solo-instrumental work from his home studio, steering toward fusion territory.
Introspection surfaced in 1993 and Uncertain Terms in 1994; he has maintained a steady output ever since. Parallax and Five followed in 1995 and 1996, while two collaborative albums with fellow Pennsylvania Shrapnel artist Richie Kotzen—Tilt in 1995 and Project in 1997—also appeared. Ascend marked his final Shrapnel effort in 1999, after which Hyperacuity became his first Tone Center release in 2000.
Beyond solo projects, Howe has worked extensively as a sideman, touring with Michael Jackson and N'Sync. In 2003 he contributed to Indian fusion guitarist Prashant Aswani’s Duality and issued the trio recording Extraction alongside bassist Victor Wooten and drummer Dennis Chambers. Over the ensuing four years he joined Jordan Rudess on Rhythm of Time, performed on Tetsuo Sakurai’s Gentle Hearts Tour 2004, and appeared on Laura Pausini’s Io Canto. The well-received Sound Proof arrived in 2008 with bassist Jon Reshard, drummer Gianluca Palmieri, and keyboardist David Cook; he also played on prog-metal band Martone’s Clean alongside guitarist Jennifer Batten.
The next four years found him again balancing studio sessions and tour work, appearing on Eddie Jobson’s The Ultimate Zero Project album Come Back UK and Ethan Brosh’s Out of Oblivion (both 2009) as well as Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson: Immortal in 2011. In 2013 Howe assembled the rock band Maragold, producing their self-titled album that featured vocalist Meghan Krauss, drummer Gianluca Palmieri, and bassist Kevin Vecchione. Following additional touring, he returned to the studio and delivered Wheelhouse in 2017. The largely instrumental set spotlighted shredding throughout, save for the vocal track “Shady Lane,” on which Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs and Mr. Big supplied both vocals and a guitar solo.
The instrumental debut Greg Howe, recorded with bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Atma Anur, appeared in 1988 and earned strong praise. Under the Howe 2 name, High Gear arrived next as a full-band project styled after Van Halen and featuring Al Howe on vocals. After the group disbanded following the more radio-oriented 1990 release Now Hear This, Howe resumed solo-instrumental work from his home studio, steering toward fusion territory.
Introspection surfaced in 1993 and Uncertain Terms in 1994; he has maintained a steady output ever since. Parallax and Five followed in 1995 and 1996, while two collaborative albums with fellow Pennsylvania Shrapnel artist Richie Kotzen—Tilt in 1995 and Project in 1997—also appeared. Ascend marked his final Shrapnel effort in 1999, after which Hyperacuity became his first Tone Center release in 2000.
Beyond solo projects, Howe has worked extensively as a sideman, touring with Michael Jackson and N'Sync. In 2003 he contributed to Indian fusion guitarist Prashant Aswani’s Duality and issued the trio recording Extraction alongside bassist Victor Wooten and drummer Dennis Chambers. Over the ensuing four years he joined Jordan Rudess on Rhythm of Time, performed on Tetsuo Sakurai’s Gentle Hearts Tour 2004, and appeared on Laura Pausini’s Io Canto. The well-received Sound Proof arrived in 2008 with bassist Jon Reshard, drummer Gianluca Palmieri, and keyboardist David Cook; he also played on prog-metal band Martone’s Clean alongside guitarist Jennifer Batten.
The next four years found him again balancing studio sessions and tour work, appearing on Eddie Jobson’s The Ultimate Zero Project album Come Back UK and Ethan Brosh’s Out of Oblivion (both 2009) as well as Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson: Immortal in 2011. In 2013 Howe assembled the rock band Maragold, producing their self-titled album that featured vocalist Meghan Krauss, drummer Gianluca Palmieri, and bassist Kevin Vecchione. Following additional touring, he returned to the studio and delivered Wheelhouse in 2017. The largely instrumental set spotlighted shredding throughout, save for the vocal track “Shady Lane,” on which Richie Kotzen of Winery Dogs and Mr. Big supplied both vocals and a guitar solo.
Albums
