Accomplished composer/guitarist Greg Porée, who has built an impressive career in Los Angeles around music, will be guest speaker at the weekly meeting of the Pasadena Rotary Club on Wednesday, March 2, which starts at 12 noon.
The meeting will be both in person and on Zoom, and is open to the public.
Greg Porée grew up in a multi-cultural environment and was exposed to diverse styles of music early on, ranging from Bach to Beatles, jazz to R&B and from Brazilian to Afro-Cuban. He settled on the guitar at age 15 and immediately began applying all of what he heard to the instrument.
In 1969, he got his first break into the music business as musical director for Sonny and Cher. From there, he worked with a diverse group of artists ranging from Ray Charles to Aretha Franklin to Diana Ross. He can be heard on landmark albums from artists such as Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Stanley Turrentine, Randy Crawford, Albert King, Ahmad Jamal, Donald Byrd and Ozomatli.
As a musical director, his credits include The Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Joan Baez. He also produced groundbreaking solo albums in association with Sting for world music master Vinx, and was the lead guitarist on the BBC hit show, “Dancing with the Stars,” for eight years.
In 2000, he shifted his focus from studio work to composition, and that has been his priority with the CD “Inventions” as a prime example of his style. His music revolves around the classical guitar and his live performing ensembles might also include percussion, violin, accordion, bass, vibraphone and keyboards. Since 2012, he has also been involved with the California Jazz Foundation, a non-profit that assists musicians who have fallen on hard times.
For the live event at the University Club, only members or guests with proof of vaccination or proof of COVID-19 negative test within 48 hours of the noon meeting may attend. In accordance with City of Pasadena Health Department guidelines, masks are required except when actively eating or drinking.
To attend in person, RSVP by emailing office@pasadenarotary.com or calling (626) 683-8243.
Complimentary valet parking is available at the University Club of Pasadena at 175 N. Oakland Ave.
To attend via Zoom, register through https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
