Artist & Teacher

GREGG is a recipient of the City of Raleigh Medal of the Arts, a Jazz Composers Award from the North Carolina Arts Council and four Regional Artist grants from the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Arts Council. He has produced over a dozen CD's and his bands have played throughout North Carolina; here is a partial list of some of his bands satisfied clients: Artsplosure and First Night, Bogart’s (Jazz coordinator 2004-2011: Best Jazz in the Triangle, Indy Award 2010), C. Grace Jazz Lounge, Cardinal Club, Carolina Inn, Cary Parks and Recreation, Carrboro Arts Center, Centerfest, City of Winston Salem, Craven Community Concerts Association, Duck Jazz Festival, Duke University Institute of the Arts, Durham Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Music Festival, Fayetteville/Cumberland County Arts Council, Fearrington House, Friends of the Given Library, Halifax Community College, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Lee County Centennial, Nasher Museum, NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching, NC Museum of Art, NC Museum of History, NC School of the Arts, NC Symphony, Oriental Theatre, Outer Banks Forum, Pinehurst Hotel, PNC for Art in Bloom, NC Museum of Art, Quail Ridge Books and Music, Raleigh Parks and Recreation, Rockingham Community College, Rowan Public Library, Sharp 9 Jazz, Smokehouse Jazz, Sullivan’s (Jazz coordinator 1999 -2004: Best Jazz in the Triangle, Indy Award 2000), Temple Theatre, Triangle Swing Dance Society, Tryon Estates, UNC Alumni Association, UNC Alumni Club, UNC Dental School, “Upstairs” Marsh Woodwinds, Wake Forest Parks and Recreation

He has a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Berklee College of Music, a Master of Music degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts, and a DMA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.He has taught music in universities and public schools throughout North Carolina including his current adjunct professor position at Central Carolina Community College.

La Fiesta Latin Jazz Quintet is a poplular performer for the United Arts Council Artists in the Schools program. Because of the Pandemic many of our school performances dated March 2020 - May 2021 were cancelled but we were able to recshedule and perform live for one school on the day before school was out for the 2021 year and Julia Mastropaolo, Arts Education Coordinator for United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County had this to say, "Yay! I cannot think of a better way to end this crazy school year than with you and your band. Congrats, Julia."

The Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble is a highlight of Gelb's teaching career. The group has made it to the finals of Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington Competition five times. Please go to videos on the homepage to see them in a recent performance.

Jazz

Gregg began his jazz career in the '80's performing with the fine jazz group, GROUP SAX. The group included the group's first leader and drummer, Peter Ingram, and featured the fine trumpeter and composer Ray Codrington and Rodney Marsh.

In the mid-eighties Gregg became leader and the jazz sextet traveled much from festivals to concerts and one of the last and best projects was a recording session with Sir Roland Hanna.

Swing Band with Uncle Paul

Gregg formed a new band in the late '80's because he wanted to play with the great Raleigh swing pianist Paul Montgomery, and also to arrange swing standards for a band of four horns. Paul, better known to thousands of North Carolinian's as famous TV personality Uncle Paul, was also one of the best swing pianists around, sounding no different that Earl 'Fatha Hines' and other great players like Mel Powell. But it was Paul's daughter and vocalist Kathy who soon became a feature of the band, (and soon after that also Gregg's wife!) The eight-piece Gregg Gelb Swing Band went on to achieve wide popularity and still continues to this day.

Gregg has written 250 arrangements for the group that features Kathy

Founder - Heart of Carolina Jazz Band

While Visiting Artist at Central Carolina Community College, Gregg began the Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra and Society. This non-profit organization creates jazz experiences that include a Guest Artist Jazz Series, free Outreach programs to the community, a jazz apprenticeship program and a community jazz orchestra.