Biography
Greg Reitan stands out as a refined jazz pianist and composer whose work centers on a direct, post-bop approach. Residing in Los Angeles, he has put out several trio recordings, among them Some Other Time from 2009 and West 60th from 2019, while also creating commercial music behind the scenes for outlets such as NBC, CBS, and CNN.
Born in Seattle in 1973, Reitan first took an interest in music near the age of ten. Private instruction came from pianists Joni Metcalf and Dave Peck along with composer and drummer Jerry Granelli; early jazz exposure followed at the Bud Shank Jazz Workshop in Port Townsend, Washington, where he studied piano under Hal Galper and arranging with John Clayton. After high school he received scholarships to the Berklee School of Music in Boston and Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. In 1991 he relocated to Los Angeles and completed a degree in classical composition and film scoring at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, continuing his training with composers Stephen Hartke, Frank Ticheli, and Erica Muhl as well as pianist Terry Trotter. His achievements during this period included a finalist placement in the 1991 John Coltrane Competition and the 1995 Harry Warren Award for Film Scoring.
Following his studies, Reitan divided his efforts between live performance and composition. From 1995 to 2001 he served as lead composer for New York’s Score Productions and established his own Evergreen Point Music company, whose clients have included CBS Television, Warner Bros., CNN, ABC News, and NBC News. He also wrote scores for the 1999 feature Dumbarton Bridge and the 2002 Lisa Kudrow independent comedy Bark!. Leading his own group, Reitan introduced Some Other Time in 2009 and Antibes in 2010, both featuring bassist Jack Daro and drummer Dean Koba, whom he first met while at USC and with whom he has maintained an ongoing partnership. Daybreak, again with the same rhythm section, appeared in 2011, and his fourth trio album, Post No Bills, followed in 2014. After a 2017 appearance at New York’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, he issued West 60th in 2019.
Born in Seattle in 1973, Reitan first took an interest in music near the age of ten. Private instruction came from pianists Joni Metcalf and Dave Peck along with composer and drummer Jerry Granelli; early jazz exposure followed at the Bud Shank Jazz Workshop in Port Townsend, Washington, where he studied piano under Hal Galper and arranging with John Clayton. After high school he received scholarships to the Berklee School of Music in Boston and Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. In 1991 he relocated to Los Angeles and completed a degree in classical composition and film scoring at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, continuing his training with composers Stephen Hartke, Frank Ticheli, and Erica Muhl as well as pianist Terry Trotter. His achievements during this period included a finalist placement in the 1991 John Coltrane Competition and the 1995 Harry Warren Award for Film Scoring.
Following his studies, Reitan divided his efforts between live performance and composition. From 1995 to 2001 he served as lead composer for New York’s Score Productions and established his own Evergreen Point Music company, whose clients have included CBS Television, Warner Bros., CNN, ABC News, and NBC News. He also wrote scores for the 1999 feature Dumbarton Bridge and the 2002 Lisa Kudrow independent comedy Bark!. Leading his own group, Reitan introduced Some Other Time in 2009 and Antibes in 2010, both featuring bassist Jack Daro and drummer Dean Koba, whom he first met while at USC and with whom he has maintained an ongoing partnership. Daybreak, again with the same rhythm section, appeared in 2011, and his fourth trio album, Post No Bills, followed in 2014. After a 2017 appearance at New York’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, he issued West 60th in 2019.
Albums
