- published: 12 May 2015
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Gregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin (born May 14, 1969) is an award-winningAmerican songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear". He is one half of The Bird and the Bee and was also a member of Geggy Tah.
Kurstin was born and raised in Los Angeles. His earliest musical memory came from his grandmother playing piano for him when he was a baby. He started playing piano when he was five years old. Kurstin would later inherit her piano and spend hours practicing the fundamentals of jazz and blues music.
At age 12 he performed in Dweezil Zappa's band and co-wrote "Crunchy Water", the b-side to Los Angeles' KROQ-FM's staple "My Mother Is A Space Cadet".
After high school, Kurstin moved to New York City to study with Charles Mingus' piano player, Jaki Byard, at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, a world renowned jazz conservatory. He played with a variety of Jazz legends including Bobby Hutcherson, George Coleman and Charles McPherson.
Ricky Kej is Indian Music director born to a family of doctors in North Carolina, USA. Kej started off his musical career playing keyboard and guitar for various Rock bands in India. In the year 2005, he graduated as a Dental Surgeon. Ironically, he did not practice Dentistry for even a day after he was awarded his degree. It was during his College days, that Ricky started to take music seriously as a profession.