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Greg Diamond
Contemporary Jazz/Latin Jazz Guitarist, Composer, Recording Artist and Bandleader
About Me
Greg Diamond is a jazz guitarist, composer, and crossover classical artist whose work bridges modern jazz, Latin American traditions, and contemporary classical performance. An active performer in New York, Miami, and internationally, Diamond has emerged as a distinctive voice whose music reflects both deep harmonic sophistication and rhythmic vitality. Latin Jazz Network describes him as a “composer of great maturity and genius,” while Acoustic Guitar magazine praises his “deep harmonic language and unerring sense of groove.” Born in New York City to a musically inclined family of mixed Eastern European Jewish and Colombian heritage, Diamond’s artistic identity reflects a broad cultural spectrum. His father, a Juilliard-trained pianist, immersed him early in the works of Bach, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff, while the tropical rhythms of cumbia and Latin American popular music formed an equally powerful backdrop at home. This dual foundation continues to inform his writing and performance style. Diamond has performed at major venues including The Blue Note New York, Iridium, Joe’s Pub, Smalls, Zinc Bar, and Nublu, and has appeared at international festivals such as the Madrid International Jazz Festival, Barranquijazz, Jimmy Glass Jazz Festival, Jazz Ahead Bremen, Medejazz Festival, Jazz Al Parque, Teatro Libre Jazz Festival, UniAndes Jazz Festival, Nublu Jazz Festival, the NCPA in Mumbai, and Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, Spain. He was a semifinalist in the 2007 Gibson International Jazz Guitar Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival, performing before George Benson. Diamond has collaborated with leading voices in jazz and Latin music including Seamus Blake, Steve Turre, John Benitez, Hector Martignon, Jose Armando Gola, Emilio Solla, Sachal Vasandani, Nicole Henry, Stacy Dillard, Henry Cole, Asha Puthli, and many others. Diamond also co-leads, alongside grammy-nominated pianist Mike Eckroth, Deftrio, an organ trio project that blends modern jazz language with varied grooves and exploratory improvisation. In addition to his work on jazz guitar, Diamond has developed a parallel career as a solo acoustic and crossover classical guitarist. His 2022 release Calera Solo Sessions, recorded in Colombia, features original compositions, contemporary works, and reimagined standards performed on nylon-string guitar. The recording draws on classical technique while retaining a strong improvisational voice. These performances often traverse jazz, new age, and Latin American influences, reflecting his broader artistic vision and commitment to expanding the expressive possibilities of the guitar. Diamond holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts (DMA) in Instrumental Jazz Performance from the University of Miami and currently serves as an adjunct professor of jazz guitar at Florida International University’s Wertheim School of Music, and adjunct professor of electric guitar at Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. In recognition of his international artistic and educational engagement, he is currently on the Fulbright Specialist roster, contributing to cross-cultural collaboration and global jazz education initiatives. ⸻ “Diamond’s music is the Music of Today. It evokes emotions and is packed with energy of different types: breakneck, soothing, insistent, impassioned and wistful…” — George Colligan (renowned jazz pianist and educator)
