013 Grammy winner Gregg Karukas is back with a new collection of all-original songs featuring his signature piano touch, pristine production, and melodies that are both soulful and sophisticated. Organic, funky, and melodic is how Gregg describes his latest, long awaited 12th solo project, Soul Secrets. Gregg's elegant grand piano and deep grooves are everywhere, and this time around he digs into his roots and also features the classic Fender Rhodes, Wurlie, Minimoog and Hammond B3 keyboards he grew up with quite a bit. With guest appearances along the way by friends Rick Braun, Euge Groove, Ricardo Silveira, Eric Valentine, Nate Phillips, Michael O'Neill, James Harrah, Adam Hawley, violinist Charlie Bisharat, Luis Conte, Shelby Flint, Ron Boustead and 21 year old rising sax star Vincent Ingala. Along with the privilege of being a musical artist and composer comes the realization that music is a mysterious and powerful force that can reach deep into our Souls and bring happiness. We all have unspoken Secrets there, and every song I write is my attempt to make that connection. The whole process, the journey, the wonderful feedback I get from listeners is what keeps me coming back to the piano. Revealing SOUL SECRETS. Karukas has been so consistently acclaimed for his melodic keyboard magic for so long that it might be superfluous to call Soul Secrets his best album ever but there s no doubt it s one of contemporary jazz's best albums of 2014.ReviewAn incredible collection of songs, once again, from Gregg Karukas. I'm not prone to rating things as 5 stars, but this CD, like so many of Gregg's other works, is exceptionally rewarding to listen to. His songs are fun and uplifting and the arrangements are lush and create a range of moods. Having an all-star collection of guest artists just enhances the overall experience. There are few artists who I anxiously await their next project, but Gregg is one of them, and he never disappoints. Put in this CD, hit the open road, or share it over a quiet moment with that special someone, and you'll discover the magic of Gregg Karukas. --5 Stars - Gregg Karukas'inspiration seems to be unlimited. He didn't record since 2009 (G.K.). He took himself five years to release this magnificent album, plenty of memorable twists of rhtyhm and best arrangements. Despite of the fact three months are about to come, I dare to pronounce myself for this one among the ten best smooth jazz albums of this year. --5 Stars - Fantastic album by a fantastic (and extremely smooth) pianist. I keep wondering when Gregg is gonna produce an album not quite as good as the last one, but he outdoes himself every time! This album is chock full of amazing rhythms/ melodies. We only see an album by Gregg every 2-3 years unlike lots of other artists, but his music is well worth the wait. My fave tracks so far are Randy Heads Uptown and Rio Drive, but there's so many it's hard to choose. EVERYONE who's into uplifting, funky, smooth jazz played by impeccable musicians should listen to this CD. --