Article Contributed by DL Media
Published on November 28, 2025
Bay Area keyboardist/composer/jazz musician Greg Rahn’s second album, Side Hustle, comes five years after the release of his debut album, Rent Party. Showcasing eight original compositions that pay homage to the musical icons and styles that have influenced him over the past five decades, the album features A-list San Francisco players who add deep grooves, a party vibe and authenticity to the funk, shuffle blues, fusion, zydeco and Cuban songo Rahn tackles on this album.
Rahn, known for his arsenal of keyboards, charismatic stage presence, and chops that enable him to glide effortlessly between jazz, blues, fusion and rock, brings his mastery of all these styles to bear on Side Hustle. He powers through New Orleans funk (“Chillin’ at the Crawdaddy Lounge”) to Louisiana zydeco (“Slap Yo Mama”), fiery fusion (“Chick Flick”), Cuban music (“Songo Blues”) and an infectious shuffle blues (“Side Hustle”), alternating between electric piano, organ, synthesizer and keytar along the way. He even tosses in a bit of melodica on an instrumental version of the Steely Dan classic, “Josie.”
The ability to hold his own across many musical genres he attributes to a chance encounter he had with Chick Corea, one of his piano heroes, after graduating from high school. On the cusp of enrolling at Berklee College of Music, Corea recommended that instead of taking a formalized college program, Rahn seek out teachers who had command of what he wanted to learn, and study whatever interested him. ‘Don’t limit yourself,” Corea said. Rahn took his advice and he brings the fruits of those musical explorations to Side Hustle.
Beginning the project in 2017, Rahn enlisted the San Francisco Bay Areamusicians with whom he’d forged deep bonds since settling in the area in 1981. Using a core band that included former Steely Dan touring guitarist, Drew Zingg, bassist Steve Evans, drummer Mick Mestek and percussionist Derek Rolando, he did the intital tracking at Studio D Recording in Sausalito, with acclaimed engineer, Joel Jaffe. But Rahn found himself at a creative impasse in 2018 and put the project on hold.
“I was so immersed in working on the songs on Side Hustle, that I lost perspective and needed some space,” he says. “I decided to set that project aside and knock out a solo piano album instead (which ended up taking over a year).
That endeavor resulted in Rent Party, a solo piano project inspired by the deep dive he took in the 90s into the piano world of New Orleans and Harlem including Dr. John, Professor Longhair, Fats Waller, Willie “The Lion” Smith. “I dove in and shed for several years and became enamored with the whole rent party phenomenon of the 20’s and 30’s, where people would gather in someone’s apartment, play music all night long, pass the hat and hopefully raising enough cash to pay someone’s rent. The next week, the hat was passed for someone else. That is what Rent Party is all about. It’s a nod to those times and those piano styles.”
Then the deaths of Zingg and Evans occurred in April 2025, and it hit him hard. The loss was profound, but also served as a wake up call, inspiring Rahn to finish the album. “I realized that there was a limit on everything, including how long we’re here on earth, and was moved to get this album to the finish line and to honor Steve and Drew in doing so.”
He resumed work on Side Hustle in in 2025, working in his own home studio. The remaining work involved overdubs and a few edits of the arrangements, all of which became clear to him after spending time away from the songs.
Overdubs included bassist Marc van Wageningen on “Swamp Funk,”‘ Derek Rolando on percussion on “Josie”, Robbie G on trumpet, Daryl Burch on trombone, Alex Murzyn on saxophone, Phil Hawkins on drums and his wife and daughter, Patricia and Katie Rahn added background vocals to “Josie” the only cover tune on the album, and “Brand New Bad Idea.” Final mixing went from May through July. Finally, to get it over the finish line, mastering and cover design was done by Hawkins in August.
“I had always planned to put out creative projects of my own compositions,” says Rahn, “but this always took a back seat to more pressing things such as raising kids, staying married and earning the almighty dollar. Side Hustle is really about moving my music from a side project to the main focus.”
With the forthcoming January 16, 2026 release of Side Hustle, Rahn looks forward to getting out his arsenal of keyboards, bringing his compositions to the forefront, doing so with his favorite musicians and playing a variety of his favorite styles of music. “Whenever I perform this music live, I have a diverse, almost schizophrenic set list which, to my surprise has always been enthusiastically received by audiences.”
He thinks back to that conversation with Chick many moons ago, appreciative for the advice that has enabled him to thrive in multiple musical lanes including as a member of Blues guitar master Chris Cain’s band for the past 15 years, playing on Ray Obiedo and Pete Escovedo’s Latin jazz projects, and jazz and fusion with his own band.
“It all goes back to Chick, in a way,” he says. “I ended up creating my own musical path, followed what interested me, and have had the joy of making music in many styles and with amazing musicians, many of whom play on Side Hustle. It’s been a fascinating and fulfilling journey so far. Chick gave me some good advice! My tune “Chick Flick” on the new album is my thank you to him!”
