debut cd "Seven
Worthies... of the Bamboo grove" and the follow-up "God's
Empty Chair".Becki diGregorio is one of the most innovative
singer/songwriters to come out of the Santa Cruz music scene . After exploring different
musical genres with the successful local band Seventh Wave and headlining such venues as
The Catalyst, Palookaville and Kuumbwa Jazz Center, diGregorio has gathered some of the
industry's most talented musicians on her self-produced debut cd "Seven
Worthies... of the Bamboo grove" and the follow-up "God's
Empty Chair".
diGregorios's unique style of music includes an artful balance of edgy folk-rock and pop, with a touch of psychedelia and middle-eastern flavour nestled in between. Her songs touch upon relationships,dreams, reality - with and underlying theme of a search for truth. The choice of instrumentation reflects diGregorio's diverse musical interests, ranging from acoustic and electric guitars, violins, drums and keyboards to an array of middle-eastern percussion that includes dumbek, riq and ghatam. The result is an amalgamation of style and sound that transports the listener on alternating waves of rock and trance.
"Seven Worthies... of the Bamboo Grove" is a collections of nine original songs, as well as a shredding version of one of the biggest hits from the psychedelic sixties, "Open My Eyes" by the Nazz. diGregorio contributes acoustic 12-string guitar, bass guitar and vocals to a line up of some of the most respected and talented musicians from the Bay Area and abroad, including San Jose's John Wedemeyer (currently touring with Charlie Musselwhite) on guitar, Randy Hayes (on tour with the Chris Cain Band) on drums, Rick Walker (formerly of Tao Chemical) on drums and percussion, Don Lax (from Camper Van Beethoven) on violin, and special guest Dave Gregory of Britain's XTC playing guitar and keyboards.
diGregorio won several prestigious songwriting awards in 1996, including Best Song from the Northern California Songwriters Association for "When You Get Home", and a Certificate of Achievement from Billboard Magazine's Song Contest (placing in the top 12% of all entries) for her song "On the Edges Now". diGregorio sings of passion and loss with a voice Dave Gregory describes as "a cross between Grace Slick and Sandy Denny." Engaging. Distinct. And always on the edge.