Greg Trooper

Over three decades, the New Jersey native has soldiered on through the victories and setbacks unique to a career dedicated to music, proving through gestures large and small that he’s one of our best. It’s evident in the company he keeps, the critics who praise his recordings, the fans who invest in his shows and the artists who learn his songs, wishing they’d written them. It is most evident in what Amazon.com calls his “catalog of superbly crafted albums” and All Music says that, “each album is stronger than the last — which is saying something when you’ve never released a bad one. This impressive discography testifies for an artist who has always served the song and the music above all other things.Raised in the shore town of Little Silver, NJ Trooper became enthralled by the greater New York area’s rich music scene. He discovered a sort of holy musical trinity in the work of Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, and Hank Williams, with their guiding lights of passion, literary dexterity and plainspoken honesty. It’s one reason Trooper’s music feels equally informed by Memphis soul, Greenwich Village folk and Nashville twang.Trooper has made an impact on the music scenes in all the places he’s lived since leaving home after high school: Austin, Texas, Lawrence, Kansas, New York and Nashville. His albums have demonstrated creative vision as well as a collaborator’s heart. Americana star Buddy Miller produced 1998’s Popular Demons album, while soul legend Dan Penn steered 2005’s extraordinary Make It Through This World. His songs have been recorded by Vince Gill, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Lucy Kaplansky, Maura O’Connell, and Robert Earl Keen, among others. He’s released 9 records and toured throughout the US and Europe including stints with John Prine, Billy Bragg and Joe Ely.Greg is currently recording his 10th record for release in 2008.Craig Havighurst