“To all that take part in Greg's musings...I am Greg's dad, Phill. I have the terrible burden to share with all. My son Greg passed away last Thursday night. It appears that he left us while sleeping. There was no sign of discomfort. Greg had not been to work for 5 days and his mail was accumulating, so I called the police to do a "wellness" check. I will miss him.

You may or may not know that I am a musician. However, my love of music extended to "West Coast Jazz". I bring this up because I have one dear recollection of a musical experience I had with my son...

I had a jazz sextet playing at a place called "Saint Michaels Alley" in Palo Alto, California (1982). Greg was a chef there. One day I showed up for the gig and Greg was sitting at the piano and playing lovely melodies. He did not see me enter and I quietly unpacked my horn (tenor saxophone). I listened for a few minutes to "feel" his melody and then quietly joined in. The people in attendance were fascinated. Greg sat bolt upright totally suprised. He kept playing and I kept improvising. When we faded to an end the audience erupted in applause. Greg hugged me and went back to the kitchen. That was the one and only time we ever played together. I will never forget it. I love my son and will miss him for whatever years I have left."
-Phill Aranda

See Greg's YouTube Channel and web site.

Greg...I will miss you always, you’ve been incredibly kind to me…Thank you for everything, for friendship, for who you were...thank you for every act of improbable kindness you did for me and no one else even knew about it... I am so sorry….I am so sorry that you’ve been gone for two months and I didn’t check on you… my mind doesn’t want to believe it, refuses to accept it, I still hope it’s a mistake, it never happened… All that’s left is tears...I MISS YOU SO MUCH.
-Irina

I only had the pleasure of meeting Greg once, in Portland, but I did chat with him on the #gentle-giant IRC channel back when I could still stay up late at night. I always thought he was a very nice, gentle person, and I will definitely miss him. I think I'll go put Think of Me With Kindness on now. Goodbye, Greg.
-Mikko

Greg, you and your family are definitely in my thoughts, even if it already has been two months. May you rest in peace. Until we meet again,
-Glen B

I am very sorry to hear your dear friend is no longer with us. I can't begin to imagine what this was like for you and especially for Greg's Dad. Life steals away so quickly sometimes and we are left missing someone who has held a big place in our hearts. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. Greg would no doubt have exactly the right thing to say to give his Dad and family and friends like you comfort. What a wonderful way to be remembered. Rest in peace, Greg. Thank you for your gentle giving spirit on this earth. I missed meeting a great guy. In sympathy,
-Janice

A terrible loss! I was wondering why I hadn't seen him post recently... RIP Greg!
-Dan L

I have some great memories of Portland Gorgg, trying to drag Greg up there to play in the Jam, after enjoying his piano playing (and sitting along side him and joining him on piano) in the music store when we went on the gear run for the event. Greg and I had some warm offlist conversations over the years, and despite his sporadic participation recently, he was an active contributor in the early days, I will miss him greatly. Go well friend,
-Marc C

Wow. I'll miss Greg too. We were roomies in Portland, and stayed in touch frequently over the following years, trading musics and quips and personal dramas and comedies and oh just a lot of everything. A great fella, and I'm happy to have known him. When I found out he'd died, I didn't cry, didn't shed a single tear, didn't feel horrible. I felt a sudden lightness, a good kind of lightness, and went very quiet and thoughtful. Very thoughtful. Peacefully quiet. All of my memories of Greg are good ones, and it is very pleasurable to think of him. I smiled rather than sobbed. I suppose there's an element of sadness in there, like the sadness I feel in Autumn (My favourite season) at the loss of a pleasant summer. But in a strange way, it's a good sadness, and Greg's summer was a very pleasant one. If that makes any sense to anyone but me, then I guess I'm not too strange. Peace to you, brother, and go swell.
-Bill T

I never met Greg but this is sad for me, nonetheless as another passing from our GORGG family.
-David K

Oh, no! I can’t believe we have lost Greg. I hadn’t met him in person, yet, but always enjoyed his posts as well as our discussions off-list. We’ve lost someone who was a talented musician, and with a great sense of humor and an incredibly generous spirit. When we were having our discussion last year (or the previous year?) about the Patrick Moraz album ‘The Story of I’, I mentioned that I once owned it on vinyl but someone had borrowed it years ago and never returned it. Two days later a package arrived in my mailbox from Greg – he went out and bought a brand new copy of the CD and sent it to me, unsolicited and expecting nothing in return. What a big heart! I’ll miss you, Greg.
-David V

I too, had only spoken in the chatroom, and was looking forward to meeting him at some future Gorgg. jeez... and he was a "cat" person as well. we had a lot in common, including his music tastes. feeling sad we didn't get to meet.
-Paul V

Shocked to hear the awful news about Greg Aranda. He was a great, great guy. I'm honored to have accompanied him to several King Crimson and Firesign Theatre shows in San Francisco. Rest in peace, big guy. Your pal,
-Biffy the Elephant Shrew

Terrible news indeed, he will be missed tremendously. I am with you all in these sad moments,
-Jesús

Very saddened to hear this. I enjoyed his chats a great deal. We'll see you at the reunion show, buddy. now in sadness,
-Diana

Complete bummer…Greg was a good guy! Damn. Well, I am going to hoist a cold one in his honor right now!
-Skip

Another OR member gone- very sad. I hate to see these posts. I remember his postings.
-David Eric

Very sad news...I never met Greg but he was part of our family...He will be missed...
-Hudman

Someone to certainly be missed. My concern and prayers for his family.
-Bob B

So sorry to hear about Greg's passing. Always enjoyed his posts, and from the messages I'm seeing in the "list" now, it seems that everyone agreed he was a good hearted human being, and therefore will be greatly missed.
-Carl

Man, this is so very sad. Greg was one of the first GORGGers I ever met, at my own first gathering in Portland. We sat at the same table. He impressed me as a quiet, unassuming guy and we had some nice conversations. Since then, I've always enjoyed his posts with his sharp wit and clever turn of a phrase. My thoughts and prayers for his family.
-Jack

Greg was the one of the first people I met at my first GORGG in Portland. I had a nice conversation with him at the corner bar not far from the hotel. I thought maybe we'd see him in Vancouver. Very sad to see someone pass so early.
-Jeff S

Rats.
-Jon

No...not another GORGG friend! I first met Greg at the PDX GORGG. I was meeting everyone for the first time, but because Greg told me lived in Des Plaines once, I felt a connection to him as I lived there for years. This is indeed sad. I'm listening to his piano improvs now. Rest well Greg...
-Andy

I have been listening to his improvisations too; This is one I find so wonderfully touching and profound. I feel that I know him now. Greg Aranda - Rest In Peace Sincerely,
-Ben O

I remember at Portland a goup of us gathered in your shared room Bill. We watched Animusic on Lindsey's Mac and played CDs and some of us tried your guitar... Gregg had a very sophisticated sense of humour and was never short of a joke or witty reply and he could keep them coming. We also exchanged mails about technical/computer subjects over the years and I also remember writing the web page for the first GORGG CD and Gregg getting very serious over small mistakes and about the description of his contribution. He had, like a lot of us, an eye for detail and high standards of presentation. But he was always kind in his jokes and comments and generous too.
-Ant

Bad news, indeed. "Why am I using words, no more to say without you." Kind thoughts for all Greg's family.
-Paul M

I never met him but I know I always appreciated his mesured posts. He seemed a very sensitive person and that comes truely through his impros I 'm listening now. So sad to see someone disapear… All my thoughts to his family
-Christian S

My hearts goes out to Greg's family. His presence here will be sorely missed. As sad as his loss is to all of us, I am heartened once again by the marvelous family we have here. Reading the outpouring of thoughts and memories here, sharing the links and stories, is a wonderful memorial. It is hard to walk this earth and not touch other lives, and some do it with more grace and style than other's. Greg's Youtube page allows him to touch some even in his absence, and I am sure he left other things behind for those closest to him to remember him by. We all have to make our exits from this stage. Going quietly in your sleep is the most graceful of exits. Way to go, Greg, but we were hoping for a long extended encore. To all of the rest of you, find comfort where you can, joy when you can, and be well. All the world's a stage. All can play their parts. Greg had chosen Raconteur, Troubadour, artist, and friend. We all must make our exits, and the curtain must eventually fall, but the applause can go on long after. Here here, Greg, well played.
-Toby

I am heartbroken. Greg Aranda was one of my best GORGG friends (although we only met online.) We shared a lot of humor, support, commiseration, tastes, interests, and common friends (incl. beyond GORGG.) As someone who felt consistently present to me, and for me, his absence is all the more unfathomable. This is a true loss, one that cuts deep. I'd actually been thinking about him for some time, found his online disappearance very conspicuous, and am stunned by this news. My heart goes out to his family and other friends. This will take some time to heal, but at least we can celebrate having known him and what he evidently gave to so many of us. Greg and I shared common perspectives in a number of areas, which I'll miss. One of them was in our love of Tom Lehrer, including the following song. Although the song "rejoices" in dying together under other circumstances, I post it here as a timely tribute to Greg and his sensibilities and humor, as I experienced them. As some of you may realize by now, Greg was posting to the group right up to the day he died. Like his webpages, his posts outlive him (in my email account, anyway.) In his last message to me, he wrote, "Paging Dr. Levin". We hear you, Mr. Aranda... For me, he was a kindred spirit who always seemed to be on the same wavelength and generously communicated it. I'll miss his comradery and expressions of validation and friendship.
-Adam L