Makin Waves Album of the Month: "Hustling in Place" by Ryan Gregg

By Bob Makin
originally published: 09/23/2024

ARTWORK BY KYLE KILLEEN

One of the hardest-working musicians in the New Jersey music scene, Asbury Park singer-songwriter-keyboardist-producer Ryan Gregg thankfully carved out some time from his busy schedule to bless eager ears with his stunning six-song solo debut EP, "Hustling in Place."

Co-produced with local singer-songwriter-producer great Arlan Feiles, “Hustling in Place” balances three conflicts with three solutions.

Released as a single in February, the opening title track is among the three conflicts. Fusing the soulful cadence of Dr. John with the witty fun of Randy Newman “Hustling in Place” examines the conflict of man vs. himself.

Ryan released all but one of the EP’s songs as singles. The March outing, “Kissing Rings," looks at man vs. man, specifically how you often have to take a lot of crap when dealing with other people. Professor Longhair blesses this track with a delicious rhumba beneath a Broadway-like structure and performance that proves Ryan has a musical in him just waiting to get out.

Next up is the sadly sweet April single, “Broken,” which wraps up the EP’s conflicts without a clear solution. Fortunately, the remainder of the EP chronicles three solutions.

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If James Booker ever had gotten his shit together, he might written a song like the healing “Morning Meditation,” which sounds like the magnolias smell on a misty morning in New Orleans.

May brought the right lessons of the single “The Devil Loved Again,” the central message of which is that some of the greatest magic humans are capable of is the ability to turn anger into empathy. While not a love song, the rag tag tune is about a loved one.

“She had a sweetness forged in fire, tender eyes that seen the pain,” Ryan warbles. “Looked the Devil in the eyes, knew all he needed was a cry. So she hugged that Devil so hard that the tears came down like rain.”

The protagonist’s experiences allowed her to connect with “the devil,” who most people would immediately dismiss or fear. Instead, she walks toward that fear, because she sees that behind the rage and anger, there is pain in the devil’s eyes. She hugs him, and the devil starts to cry. Empathy wins again despite the unlikely recipient, who, in reality, may be Ryan himself, thankful for the grace and peace that soothed the beast of anger.

The dichotomy and irony sweetened by a bouncy charm slightly recalls Randy Newman, much like the opening title track, as well as the closing “Dirty Jersey,” my personal favorite track because it’s oh so Jersey.

With the June single, Ryan chronicles finding his tribe in a love letter to his adopted home of Asbury Park and the Matawan native’s lifelong home of the Jersey Shore. Inspired during a ride over the Driscoll Bridge on the way home from an NYC gig, “Dirty Jersey” may not be clean, but it’s home, especially the Asbury music community that immediately embraced him and helped him plant roots. The song is a thank you to the deep friendships that have resulted: “Down past the Driscoll, where the people are as salty as the sea. My, Dirty Jersey, singing songs down by the shore is where I’ll be.”

Ryan can be enjoyed live with Ocean Avenue Stompers on Mondays at R Bar in Asbury, as well in a duo with Des Spinks from Des & the Swagmatics as part of the Fifth Annual Littorally Local Sunset Cruise on the Seastreak, which docks in Highlands.

For more, visit https://www.ryangreggmusic.com

Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at [email protected].

About the author:

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New Jersey Stage is proud to be the home of Bob Makin's Makin Waves column since 2017. His Song of the Week column comes out every Friday. He also writes an Album of the Month and Interview of the Month as well.

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