Greg Ginn (born June 8, 1954) is a guitarist, songwriter and singer. He is probably known for being the leader of and primary songwriter for the punk rock band Black Flag, which he founded and led from 1976 to 1986.

Since breaking up Black Flag, Ginn has recorded a few solo albums, and has performed with the bands Gone , Confront James , and Mojack . He also owns the South Bay based, independent record label, SST, which was originally created as the electronics company, Solid State Transformers, he created as a teenager. He remains very active in music; in a recent interview he states he still performs "about six nights a week." [1]

Ginn's guitar sound is distinctive, often recognizable within a few notes. Black Flag singer Henry Rollins has repeatedly compared Ginn's playing not to any other guitarists, but to free jazz saxophonists Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy. These may initially appear unlikely comparisons, but a closer examination reveals some similarities: Like both saxophonists, Ginn tends towards highly emotive playing and has a thorough grasp of musical harmony, though often choosing to play notes that are technically "incorrect" but which frequently carry a greater visceral impact than "proper" playing. Ginn is an avid jazz fan, stating he generally prefers music by saxophone or piano players.

One review of Black Flag's Slip It In (1984) notes that Ginn's "playing was becoming increasingly avant-garde and exciting. Rather than simply coughing up one clichéd solo after another, he wandered harmolodically up and down the fretboard as a jazz player like Blood Ulmer would, making the material more interesting than what most Black Flag-influenced bands were playing." [2]

Ginn's nephew, Alex, founded the punk band, 1208.

Greg is also active in cat-rescue, possessing approximately 80 cats, and having reformed Black Flag in September 2003 for a cat rescue benefit.

He has used the pseudonym Dale Nixon on Black Flag's My War and in the band Confront James .

Albums

• Getting Even (1992)
• Payday (1993)
• Dick (1993)
• Let It Burn (1994)

Singles

• "Don't Tell Me" (1995)

External link

• SST/Cruz Records