This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Euge Groove, performing at the Santa Fe Station Hotel December 4 at 8 p.m. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Euge talks about his methodical approach to recording jazz and performing live sets; why he writes songs that are natural to him and not necessarily for the radio; how he got from classical music to King Curtis; why he enjoys playing music with other musicians, including Peter White; what the mark of a true artist is; how there is a negative connotation to “smooth jazz” and why he doesn’t object to the term; why he is drawn more to production these days; and the secret life of airline miles!
Born Steven Eugene Grove in Hagerstown, Maryland, Euge grew up in a musical home. His mother played piano and taught the church choir and Euge Groove began his musical pursuits at the age of seven, beginning with piano and adding saxophone at nine. Two saxophonists had a profound effect on his approach to playing. “One was French classical player Marcel Mule, who really defied what the sax was supposed to sound like for me and the other was David Sanborn, who took that sound and brought it into the mainstream world,” Euge reminisces. Through the years, Euge’s love of Jazz, R&B, Gospel and Blues have all come together to inform his personalized sound.
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