Other Projects

Over the years Greg has been involved in a number of other musical ventures, including the following:

Somah

In the summer between his sophomore and junior years at high school, Greg joined the band Somah which was then a two-person outfit in a basement. However, before long Somah developed a cult following in Fairfield County, Connecticut and soon added a fourth member. The band became increasingly popular within the state, then regionally. They completed a national tour in 1994 and soon after were featured in Relix magazine. Somah relocated to Burlington, Vermont in the summer of 1996. In January 1998, after releasing three studio albums and one live album, with thousands of fans nationwide, Somah played their final show at Nectar's in downtown Burlington. Somah helped to establish Greg as a respected bassist. He also gained experience as an arranger and backup vocalist. Somah's studio albums can be heard here, and a collection of some of their live performances is available here.

Sigmund Blue

In 1999, after moving to Fayetteville, Arkansas to attend college, Greg was asked to fill in on bass for the band Sigmund Blue, who had a gig but their bassist backed out at the last minute. After playing this show, Greg became interested in working with Sigmund Blue further, although at the time he envisioned himself in a producer role. However, after a steaming impromptu performance at a Halloween party, Greg decided to join the group as a full-time member. The band played a number of shows in the Fayetteville, Arkansas area and developed a small following. They undertook a dazzling full-length studio album, which proved to be the band's swan song. Then, eight years after the band's demise, the three members of Sigmund Blue (Greg Goldman, Andy Goodson, and Brandi Parker) joined forces again to record a new album. The album Long Distance Mixtape (2010) was recorded by Greg in Pittsburgh, PA, Brandi in New York, NY, and Andy in Fayetteville, AR, with the members exchanging tracks over the internet. The fascinating concept of the album can be read about at the band's website, sigmundblue.com. In 2013 Sigmund Blue undertook its most ambitious project yet: a concept album. The 8 Deaths of Delphinium Gardener is a tale about a young girl who meets an octopus from another world/dimension, who forces her to live 8 different lives. Musically, the album touches on elements of the grand 1970's tradition of the rock opera, mixed with modern influences: Genesis and Flaming Lips meet the Decemberists with elements of Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab. Both of Sigmund Blue's most recent albums are available for free or pay-what-you-want at sigmundblue.com.

The Athens Fusion Collective

While attending graduate school in Athens, Ohio Greg formed a friendship with Athens drummer Jim Johanson. Jim, who had played in bands in the Athens area for years, had the idea of forming a jazz-fusion project with rotating membership. They enlisted guitarist Shannon Scott to round out the core of what became the Athens Fusion Collective. The concept was to function as a band with Greg, Jim and Shannon at the center, and other members rotating in and out of the lineup for each performance. The result was one of the most unique musical projects to emerge from the Athens music scene at that time. The group's setlist consisted of jazz standards, fusion songs from artists such as Hebie Hancock and Stanley Clark, and even a swing version of Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick." The group also composed a few original songs, generally bearing names inspired by quotes from the classic Cohen Brothers film The Big Lebowski. The Athens Fusion Collective's music can be heard here.

Todd Rooster

While attending graduate school, Greg placed an ad in a local music store offering his services as a bassist. He was soon contacted by members of Todd Rooster, a band of undergraduate students at Ohio University. The group, whose lineup at the time included a hip-hop inspired lead vocalist, an electric violinist, a finger-picking funk guitarist, and several dominant writers, immediately intruiged Greg and he came on full-time as their bassist. Due to his age and experience, Greg was dubbed "Papa Rooster" and he became a vital driving force in the band. After several years, one extraordinary debut album (on which Greg acted as producer as well as a musician), countless packed shows, and several lineup changes, Todd Rooster came to an end in 2006. Todd Rooster's music can be heard here.

Dipod

An offshoot of Sigmund Blue, Greg has teamed up with Brandi Parker (aka Tella) to form the two-member supergroup, Dipod. The band's name is a play on the word tripod and a reference to being two-thirds of Sigmund Blue. The band's eponymous first album can be heard here.

Spit'n Lyon

On July 1, 2017, Greg's oldest friend, John Daly, called Greg and said he had been writing a musical about a historical figure named Matthew Lyon, and did Greg want to help? Greg said sure, and the next morning he woke up to over 15 messages containing the skeletal outlines of songs for the project. John had been singing the melodies he heard into his phone's audio recorder, and Greg's job was to set these to music. Fast-forward to November 2018, and a concept album containing the arc John had envisioned for Lyon's story was released. Greg played every instrument and did some of the vocals in his own studio, and John recorded vocals both in a Vermont studio and at Greg's studio. They also recruited eight guest vocalists to voice various characters for the album, who submitted tracks from all across the country. Perhaps most exciting, the musical is currently in development for a true stage production. The official website for the project can be found here, and the album can be heard in its entirety here.


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