Nowhere - 1998 “Although singer/songwriter/guitarist Greg Boerner first made his name in Georgia and the Carolinas as a fret-burning electric guitarist playing blues and roots rock, he's now settled in the Chicago area to concentrate on his adept acoustic guitar stylings and impressive original ballads, pop tunes, and blues compositions. His new CD Nowhere is rife with complex finger picking, evocative vocals, and well-constructed songs. Originals like "Seven Gables Stomp," "Sun Prairie Ramble," "Father and Son," and the moody title track reveal the many facets of this talented artist. The only cover on the disc is a skillful interpretation of Bob Dylan's classic "Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)". ” – Kevin Toelle , Blues Editor Illinois Entertainer “Greg Boerner is an Augusta, GA, transplant. And fans of the blues can be thankful that the guitarist-singer-songwriter (notice the guitar is listed first) moved here. ?On his debut CD, Nowhere, Boerner (pronounced "Burner") transports listeners along a road that runs from his southern hometown to Madison. ?It's the blues tempered with a country and folk flavor that drives the CD. ?Although he is just 30, Boerner uses a finger-picking guitar style that reminds one of '50's masters. ” – Natasha Kassulke Wisconsin State Journal “It's Boerner's debut CD and includes what feels like a musician and singer recently discovering his talent as a songwriter. Yet, the guitar playing is seasoned, tasteful, deeply rooted and downright hot. With the opening instrumental, "Seven Gables Stomp", it's as if he has appeared in your living room ? just the guitar and the foot for percussion with the sweetness of Chet Atkins mixed with the unadorned force of Merle Travis. Yet, Boerner is more bluesy than either of them. ? His phrasing is perfect and the voice sounds secure and wise. ? From the liner notes, but really, from the music, it feels Greg Boerner is bursting at the seams to get this out, possibly to move it out of the way to make room for more. ? With Boerner, it's not so much what he says but how he says it, lyrically and otherwise. ? We've hit musical times where the innovators of the past are drawn on more than ever to help usher in something new with often disastrous or instantly dated results. Greg Boerner ain't even worryin'. He's got his guitar, his family and his growing talent and confidence. That's what I hear on this CD and it's that which will grow more immeasurable and sustainable throughout his life. What else is there? ” – Bruce Miller Bruce Miller is a writer, teacher, banjo player, self-professed music junkie, gardener and a contributing writer for Magnet magazine. For better or worse, he holds an MFA in Fiction from Goddard College. “I'm overwhelmed by the fantastic back home roots of acoustic guitar. When I review a CD I listen to the first track and continue on if that track is great. With this CD every song was fantastic. As a musician, this CD takes me back to the very roots of rockabilly and blues. It was simply a great find for me and I'm very picky on the type of music I enjoy and like to play. A refreshing new talent for sure. ” – L.A. McLean , fan “I love Greg's music...His first two CDs are my first two choices every time I get into my car. ” – Kevin Finnegan , fan Wishing Well - 2001 “Greg Boerner, Wishing Well A transplanted Southerner with serious chops on the acoustic blues guitar....Boerner makes you feel as if you're sitting on the back porch with him as he's pickin', grinnin', and passin' the bottle....easy listening on your own back porch (or in the coffee shop, as the case may be). ” – Jim DeRogatis , Pop Music Critic Chicago Sun-Times “When it comes to top flight original blues, ballads, and folk, you won't find a more skilled practitioner around these parts than singer-songwriter/guitarist Greg Boerner. His new CD Wishing Well is rife with outstanding original material, expressive vocals, and dexterous finger picked guitar. Boerner's songs, with folk, old timey, country, and on occasion even Latin grooves spicing his mainly blues-based approach, are well-written and confidently delivered. You can't ask for much more than that. ” – Kevin Toelle , Blues Editor Illinois Entertainer “Once vinyl wears through its grooves and CDs begin to stutter with rot, you'll still hear Greg Boerner, worrying a Freddy King lick to death, doing everything he can to attempt to capture Ray Charles and maybe even wink at Tom Waits by allowing a bit of distortion to creep into an otherwise acoustic affair. Boerner's sophomore effort, Wishing Well - self-produced, self-penned and self-played (but for a bit of piano here and a trap set there) - effortlessly wears its influences on its sleeves, and you get the feeling Mr. Boerner wanted it this way. The authority of the blues here is pervasive; Greg doesn't think twice about snatching a lyric straight out of a nearby Chicago club circa 1950, as on "Two Time Woman" or the title cut. And he does this blatantly and proudly, making that link and giving respect where it is so obviously due. The album's best track, "Thing Of Her Own" finds Boerner in a sneakier mood, slipping in the stray Cuban influence and an insinuating bit of electric guitar. "Bus Departure", the CD's closer, is a lazy shuffle the aforementioned Freddy King never got around to writing. But this is not a blues album. It's a firelit album by a songwriter showing, with each release, a growing ease and command. ” – Bruce Miller Bruce Miller is a writer, teacher, banjo player, self-professed music junkie, gardener and a contributing writer for Magnet magazine. For better or worse, he holds an MFA in Fiction from Goddard College. “Greg Boerner is an extremely dynamic performer. While solo acoustic artists are sometimes hestitant about even standing up in front of their crowds, Boerner not only stands, but actually moves with his music; you can tell he feels it. And his abilities as a musician far exceeds mere competence. An agile fingerpicking-style player, Boerner's familiarity with the fret-board allows him to create a wide range of tonal surprises that add personality and energy to his songs. When Greg Boerner plays, Jack Williams sweats. ” – Ben McCorkle The Metropolitan Spirit Augusta, GA “Greg Boerner's guitar expertise leaves no doubt the Elvis and blues fanatic is musically older than his actual years. ” – Don Rhodes , Entertainment Editor The Augusta Chronicle nationally syndicated columnist, "Ramblin' Rhodes", Augusta, GA “Great guitar, strong vocals...I heard as much Elvis and Buddy Holly in his music as Woody Guthrie, which is something of a relief these days! ” – Pierce Pettis , Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter “We heard Greg play live at the Redwood Room in Rochester, MN and went back the next night to hear him again! He's got an earthy, unadulterated sound that you can't get from most major record labels. Greg rocks! ” – Kari , fan “I?d also recommend Wishing Well, Boerner?s second record, which is more blues-based, and sounds more like his live show. ” – Andre Salles , writer, music reviewer/columnist “I've got one of those CD players that holds 400 discs and Greg's Wishing Well fits nicely in between my Keb Mo and Ray Charles CDs. Great songwriting, great guitar work, great vocals....it's all there. ” – Jim Green , musician World So Blue - 2006 “World So Blue, the third self-produced album from singer/songwriter Greg Boerner, is a true triumph in the portrayal of raw, vulnerable emotion. Steeped in the Blues and Folk of Boerner?s Southern upbringing, World So Blue gives listeners a window into the world of a man who vacillates between heartache, love, longing and hope. Boerner?s sultry, haunting voice makes each lyric palpable; his melodies resonate. If the litmus test of true talent in a songwriter is the ability to invite the listener to relate any song to his/her own life and experiences, then Boerner is among the elite. His penchant for honest, exposed, often seductive lyrics coupled with brilliant guitar playing and beautiful melodies earns him the mark of a truly talented story teller. Highlights like "This Love" and "Don?t Wake Me From This Dream" are drenched in conflict, longing and the human struggle with the ferocity of love, while songs like "Adele" and "Watchin' The Girls Go By" explore the playful, flirtatious, more humorous side of Boerner?s multi-faceted persona. World So Blue is a remarkable addition to the already rich catalog of a humble artist from Augusta, Georgia who is well on his way to leaving his indelible mark on the face of music. ” – Christina Plotzke , serious music fan and writer/critic Prefix and Groupeez magazines “The rather unpolished intro from the new album of guitarist/singer/songwriter Greg Boerner (pronounced "Burner") did not promise a lot of good...but the man from Augusta, Georgia, now residing in the Chicago area, puts things immediately in order with the title song ?World So Blue?. Boerner has released his third album and was until today completely unknown to me. Greg was good enough to provide me with his previously published material, namely: Nowhere (1998) and Wishing Well (2001) and to my shame, have to admit that again I have ?missed? something. An excellent finger picking guitarist and an excellent singer/songwriter who openly admits that his ?penchant for laziness seems to override my gift for songwriting?. His lack of financial means and the breaking up of his marriage (after 13 years) are the main factors why we had to wait this long for a new album. Not so pleasant experiences, but they don?t stop him from creating a pearl of a new album. World So Blue is the final love letter to his wife Stephanie and it echoes the pain of the break up of something that started out as a fairy tale. This lovely acoustic number with the other bluesy/soul pearl ?This Love" deserve to become Radio 1 hits. (This is one of the better radio stations on the Flemish radio). These are "goosebumps" songs that show that Greg has a hard time getting over the divorce. The writing of ?Gold/They Can't Tell Me?, a song about a man going a little crazy, is the result of his pain. ?Watchin' The Girls Go By? can maybe make sure that with ?Adele? (son Jake on the cornet), Josephine or Anna Lee the new Virgin Queen will make her entry into the house of Boerner. And it is no little thing that the country/blues/gospel in ?Heaven Bound? refers to ?Ray Charles on the stereo or sweet tea on my mother?s porch.? These are songs that illustrate Boerner's inspiration from artists like Tom Waits, Willie Dixon, J.J. Cale, Willis Alan Ramsey, B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. Moreover, he has shared the stage with Bill Morrissey, Chris Smither, Robbie Fulks, Leon Russell, Wayne Toups and Tinsley Ellis--artists that without hesitation would put the slide jewel ?Melody" or the storytelling songs ?Marywood? and ?Don?t Wake Me From the Dream? on their playlists. In this his 38th year, and with his third album under his arm, this Greg Boerner, in my opinion, is ready to make his big break ? ?I want to make music that is sincere, means something to me and hopefully means something to others.? He has passed with flying colors! 4 1/2 stars out of 5 ” – Francois(Swa)Braeken , Reporter Euro Americana chart CD reviewer for the E-magazine "ROOTSTIME". “I had the opportunity last month to talk with Greg Boerner (pronounced Burner), a Georgia native who moved to Illinois a few years ago. Boerner just self-released his third CD,World So Blue, and since quite a lot of the album was inspired by his recent divorce, our features editor thought that would be a neat story. Especially since I got to talk to his ex-wife, too, and get her thoughts. But even if you?re not enthralled by real-life tales of lost love, Boerner?s music is worth checking out, especially if you?re into folk and blues traditions. His songs are uncomplicated in the best way, especially a romp like ?Heaven Bound", and his acoustic guitar playing is deft and skillful. His best quality is his deep, soulful voice, but here he?s surrounded it with his most complete production. Boerner still plays most of the instruments himself, as he did on his comparatively stark earlier records, but World So Blue adds percussion, electric guitars and a host of other colors. You?d never know it?s a DIY effort, so clear and well-balanced is the sound, but the elaborate measures don?t detract from the core ? acoustic-based songs, played and sung well. Boerner stretches out here, too, incorporating a Tom Waits influence on ?Don?t Wake Me From This Dream,? perhaps his finest song. It fits in well with the more melancholy tone of this record, which, considering its subject matter, is not surprising. The title song is a mid-tempo lament, a plea for a second chance, on which Boerner provides subtle mouth percussion, and ?This Love", another minor-key favorite, takes an old blues trope and makes it new ? ?One thing?s for certain, there?s two things I know, this love will kill me, and I can?t let it go?? Both Boerner?s lyrics and music are simple and accessible-sometimes too simple for my taste ? and fans of singer-songwriters like John Hiatt and Steve Earle(in acoustic mode)should find much to like here. The two things I admire most about World So Blue are the sense of diversity ? there?s gospel, Louisiana shuffle, country-folk and pop mixed in with Boerner?s traditional blues and roots music ? and the sonic texture. The whole thing is sequenced well, and lest you think it?s all lovelorn moping, it concludes with two breezy, upbeat numbers that leave you wanting more. World So Blue is an interesting homemade document, and Boerner is obviously a talented guy with quite a good voice. Nothing here is going to change the world, but Boerner?s not trying to be innovative, just enjoyable. If you like straightforward songs about love and life, drawn from a perspective of deep respect for classic American music of all stripes, then this is for you. I?d also recommend Wishing Well, Boerner?s second record, which is more blues-based, and sounds more like his live show. ” – Andre Salles , obsessive and financially idiotic music fan writer/reviewer/columnist for www.tm3am.com “With Boerner?s 3rd album, the songwriting, guitar skills and ability to get around in the studio have all matured. The overdubs are many but nothing?s ever busy. In places, it simply sounds as if he?s got a hot band in the room. ?Adele?, for example, drops slices of slide and ?underwater? guitar over the tune?s finger-picked, swampy bottom. However, he?s also included percussion and his son Jake on cornet. From the jumped-up gospel of ?Heaven Bound? to the smokey sensuality of ?This Love?, Boerner?s ability to simultaneously fill out and leave space is impressive. There are fewer blatant suggestions of the blues and R&B he grew up on, in their place is an implicit sense that things aren?t any longer as uncomplicated as sweet tea and Ray Charles records. The track, ?Gold?, with its comments on ?burned out wood where love once stood?, makes this clear before segueing into the surreal ?They Can?t Tell Me?. In fact, ?Gold/They Can?t Tell Me? might be Boerner?s best songwriting yet; the fact that he?s chosen to connect commentary on love lost with what might otherwise come off as a goof gives the entire piece added gravity. Because of this, it?s almost easy to forget the guitar chops, which have become subtler. The electric line that snakes through ?Marywood? simply begs, while its counterpart in ?Melody? serves as harmony for some tasteful slide playing. If there?s a complaint, it?s certainly not in the confidence department but perhaps the territory Boerner continues to draw from. While the snatches of Travis picking and Excello records-esque bayou pop are mighty fine things, some of this leans a bit too close to the middle of the road. But as soon as that comment?s made, one has to realize it?s not Boerner?s job to be one more tortured singer-songwriter a la Nick Drake or Elliot Smith, nor does he necessarily need to trade in the southern roots in exchange for Devandra Banhardt?s more childlike proclivities. And since he?s not just a guitar picker, chances of him pulling a Jack Rose anytime soon are out. The music on World So Blue is honest and shows an artist growing at his own pace, seemingly outside of the boundaries of pop culture. And in a country where we?re often overloaded with information, this is an achievement in and of itself. ” – Bruce Miller , writer, teacher, banjo player, self-professed music jun His writing has appeared in Magnet, Oxford American, Bluegrass Unlimited, Global Rhythm and National Geographic Online. Prophetstown - 2011 “I have known Greg Boerner for about five years. I wrote a story about the making of his third album, World So Blue, for my former newspaper ? the album centered around Boerner's divorce, and I spoke to both him and his ex-wife about the circumstances and the songs they inspired. I loved writing that story, and I also enjoyed getting to know Greg and his music. He's one of the few people I know making a living playing music, which means he plays, locally and elsewhere, all the time, and he has years of practice capturing an audience's attention with nothing more than his voice and his acoustic guitar. You can hear all of that experience brought to bear on his new album, Prophetstown. It is not so much an evolution of his bluesy, engaging sound as it is a refinement of it ? he's grown into this style so completely at this point that this album gives you the best sense yet of what Boerner does. There's lots of loneliness and desolation here, lots of minor keys, but there's a real feeling of a terrific performer happily coming into his own on record. Take the title track, for instance. It's a simple, smoky piece, but you'll be amazed at how much atmosphere Boerner conjures up with just two guitars and voice. Everything he's doing on guitar makes your ears perk up ? lesser guitarists could play this song and not get the feel of it even remotely right. "For You" is similar, an epic tale of love and theft that floats along on choppy waters. It's marvelous. Boerner does get lighter and more upbeat here and there, most notably on "Honey B" -- I dare you not to smile when you hear this one. But largely, Prophetstown is a slower and darker ride than Boerner's given us in the past. The last three songs are my favorites. "Down" is like driving through a tunnel, lights speeding by overhead, lonely and alone. It's one of Boerner's best melodies, simple yet effective. The same can be said for "This Ain't Me," a gently loping tune about realizing the depths of one's behavior. The effect, after the previous nine songs, is like rubbing one's eyes and facing the sun. And it leads into the tremendous closer, "Hong Kong Cafe." If you have Made in Aurora, you know this trippy fantasy, and it's just as good here. The spoken section is a knockout: "His name was Russell Morgan, but he called himself Pete..." Of course, Greg Boerner is a performer you need to see live. But Prophetstown is the next best thing, and is Boerner's best and most consistent effort. ” – Andre Salles , obsessive and financially idiotic music fan writer/reviewer/columnist for www.tm3am.com v7.28.11