was a breath of fresh air amidst the seemingly never-ending stream of harmonic minor guitar virtuosos pouring forth from the Shrapnel Records label in the late '80s. While other post-
players of the "shred guitar" genre were pursuing the dramatic neo-classical vein,
brought a sense of funk and groove to the table that was sorely needed. Howe paid his dues playing the Easton/Allentown club circuit in the '80s with the band
on lead vocals. When one of his instrumental demos grabbed the ear of talent scout and Shrapnel Records owner
His all-instrumental debut,
Greg Howe, featuring the talents of
Billy Sheehan and
Atma Anur on bass and drums, respectively, was released in 1988, to considerable acclaim.
Howe's second album,
High Gear, released under the moniker
Howe 2, was less a solo album than a
Van Halen-styled band effort, featuring his brother
Al Howe on lead vocals. The band broke up after releasing its more commercially minded follow-up,
Now Hear This, in 1990 and
Greg Howe returned to making all-instrumental albums in his home studio, taking a decidedly more fusion-styled direction.
Howe released Introspection in 1993 and
Uncertain Terms in 1994 and has continued to produce albums at a prolific rate since then. Aside from releasing
Parallax and
Five in 1995 and 1996, respectively,
Howe collaborated with fellow Pennsylvania virtuoso and Shrapnel labelmate
Richie Kotzen on the
Tilt album in 1995 and again on 1997's Richie Kotzen/Greg Howe Project. His last Shrapnel album,
Ascend, was released in 1999, followed by his debut on the Tone Center label,
Hyperacuity, released in 2000.
Outside of his solo career,
Greg Howe is also a sought-after sideman who has toured with the likes of
Michael Jackson and N'Sync.
–
Andy Hinds, Rovi