Gregory Hutchinson feat. Leona Berlin “Losing You” (Video)

Gregory Hutchinson shares new single, “Losing You”, featuring Leona Berlin

The preview of his upcoming solo debut album, ‘Da Bang’, sees him reunite with the acclaimed German singer/producer

‘Da Bang’ is out everywhere on 9.29.2023 and features unique collaborations with diverse artists including Karriem Riggins, PJ, Leona Berlin, Samora, Christian Scott, Soweto Kinch, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Vernon Reid, Nicholas Payton, Sy Smith, Kameron Corvet, Javier Starks, James Poyser, Nicholas Payton, Liselotte Östblom, and more

Just weeks away from releasing his solo debut album, ‘Da Bang’, on 9.29.2023, acclaimed drummer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Gregory Hutchinson offers a preview of the coming LP.

Teaming up with German singer/producer Leona Berlin, Hutchinson releases his new single, “Losing You”.

In “Losing You”, Berlin tells a story of a passionate relationship that teeters on the edge of uncertainty.

Her soulful lyrics vividly describe the euphoria of love and the fear of stagnation, as without change, there is no growth, and without growth, she’s running out of air to breathe, Berlin comes to realize: “You’re tryna maintain / things as they’ve always been / don’t wanna change / limits prevent your suffering / I am a snake / getting rid of its rigid skin / ’cause I can’t breathe / ’cause I can’t sing / ’cause I want to live again”.

As the emotional narrative unfolds, the track envelops listeners in Gregory Hutchinson’s signature dense, rumbling soundscapes, featuring intricately syncopated drums, ethereal keys, and beautiful strings.

Recorded by award-winning producer/drummer Karriem Riggins (J Dilla, Common, Robert Glasper), the 15-track collection ‘Da Bang’ sees Hutchinson joined by an all-star lineup of unique collaborators, including such diverse friends and fellow artists as Riggins, Leona Berlin, PJ, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Vernon Reid, Christian Scott, Nicholas Payton, Kameron Corvet, Tim Smith, Sy Smith, Javier Starks, Samora, James Poyser, and more.

One of the most highly regarded musicians of his generation, Gregory Hutchinson has been hailed for his work performing and recording with countless jazz greats including Betty Carter, Red Rodney, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Dianne Reeves, Lou Donaldson, Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Diana Krall, and Harry Connick Jr, to name just a few.

The Brooklyn, NY-born, Rome, Italy-based artist grew up surrounded by music, from his late mother’s beloved soul and R&B to reggae via his percussionist father and the explosive sounds of classic hip-hop that filled the streets of NYC in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Now, with ‘Da Bang’, Hutchinson has taken those variegated styles and fused them into a one-of-a-kind blast of genre-busting Brooklyn energy, all with a deeply personal lyrical approach hewn from his own diaries and experiences.

Though soundly rooted in the R&B tradition, the album sees Hutchinson approaching his strikingly powerful songcraft with the versatility, dynamism, and imagination he has long been known for, coloring original compositions like the fiery statement of purpose, “We Got Drumz” featuring Javier Starks & Soweto Kinch and the album-closing “Fly Away” featuring Nicholas Payton with his mastery of timing, natural feel, and staggering innovation.

“Everyone knows me for playing jazz but I grew up around the corner from Biggie,” Hutchinson says. “That’s my era. I was thinking, how are we going to bring younger people to jazz music now that they are gravitating away from it. I was going through a divorce, going through different trials in life, and I decided to just do what I love to do. To just speak to the way I want to speak. Making music is, I think, supposed to be kind of like telling your life story. I’m not trying to portray anything that I’m not in the music. I just understand what makes people move and how to do that. It’s like, this is where we are.”