Grant Green

This article is about the jazz guitarist and composer. For other people with the same name, seeGrant Green (disambiguation).

Grant Green(June 6, 1935 – January 31, 1979) was an Americanjazz guitaristand composer.

Grant Green
Background information
Born	(1935-06-06)June 6, 1935 St. Louis,Missouri, U.S.
Died	January 31, 1979(1979-01-31)(aged 43) New York City,U.S.
Genres	Jazz bebop hard bop soul jazz jazz-funk
Occupations	Musician songwriter
Instrument	Guitar
Years active	1959 – 1978
Labels	Blue Note Verve Kudu

Recording prolifically forBlue Note Recordsas both leader andsideman,Green performed in thehard bop,soul jazz,bebop,andLatin-tinged idioms throughout his career. CriticMichael Erlewinewrote, "A severely underrated player during his lifetime, Grant Green is one of the great unsung heroes of jazz guitar... Green's playing is immediately recognizable – perhaps more than any other guitarist."Critic Dave Hunter described his sound as "lithe, loose, slightly bluesy and righteously groovy".

He often performed in anorgan trio,a small group featuring aHammond organand drummer. Apart from fellow guitaristCharlie Christian,Green's primary influences were saxophonists, particularlyCharlie Parker,and his approach was almost exclusively linear rather than chordal. He rarely playedrhythm guitarexcept as a sideman on albums led by other musicians.

The simplicity and immediacy of Green's playing, which tended to avoidchromaticism,derived from his early work playingrhythm and bluesand, although he achieved a synthesis of this style with bop, he was a skilled blues and funk guitarist and returned to this style in his later career.

Biography

Grant Green was born on June 6, 1935, inSt. Louis, Missourito John and Martha Green. At various times his father was a laborer and a Saint Louis policeman.Grant began studying guitar while he was in primary school.He received early instruction in guitar playing from his father,who played blues and folk music. Grant studied for a year with Forrest Alcorn, but he was mostly self-taught, learning from listening to records.

Grant Green first performed in a professional setting at the age of 13 as a member of agospel musicensemble.Through his 20s, he was a member of jazz and R&B bands.His influences wereCharlie Christian,Charlie Parker,Lester Young,andJimmy Raney.Green's style mimicked that of a saxophonist playing single note rather than chords.His first recordings were at the age of 24, in St. Louis with tenor saxophonistJimmy Forrestfor the United label, where Green played alongside drummerElvin Jones.Green recorded with Jones for several albums in the mid-1960s. In 1959,Lou Donaldsondiscovered Greenplaying in a bar in St. Louis and hired him for his touring band. Green moved toNew York Cityduring 1959–60.

Donaldson introduced Green toAlfred LionofBlue Note Records.From 1961–1965 he was Blue Note's house guitarist.Rather than using Green as a sideman, as was the Blue Note practice, Lion arranged for him to record as a group leader. However due to Green's lack of confidence, the initial recording session was only released in 2001 asFirst Session.

Despite his first session being shelved, Green's recording relationship with Blue Note lasted with a few exceptions, throughout the 1960s. From 1961 to 1965, Green made more appearances on Blue Note albums as leader or sideman than anyone else. His first album as a leader wasGrant's First Standfollowed in the same year byGreen StreetandGrantstand.He was named Best New Star in theDown BeatCritics' Poll, in 1962. He often provided support to others musicians on Blue Note, including saxophonistsHank Mobley,Ike Quebec,Stanley Turrentine,and organistLarry Young.

Sunday Mornin',The Latin BitandFeelin' the Spiritare allconcept albums,each taking a musical theme or style:gospel,Latinandspiritualsrespectively. Grant carried off his more commercial dates with artistic success during this period:Idle Moments(1963), featuringJoe HendersonandBobby HutchersonandSolid(1964), are described by jazz critics as two of Green's best recordings.

Many of Green's recordings were not released during his lifetime. These include several albums with pianistSonny Clarkrecorded in 1961–1962 included inThe Complete Grant Green & Sonny Clarkreleased byMosaicin 1997, and two albums from 1964 (MatadorandSolid) that featuredMcCoy TynerandElvin Jonesfrom theJohn Coltrane Quartet.In 1966 Green left Blue Noteand recorded for other labels includingVerve.From 1967 to 1969 he was inactive due to personal problems and the effects ofheroin addiction.In 1969 he returned to Blue Note but played mostly in R&B settings.His recordings from that period include the commercially successfulGreen Is Beautifuland the soundtrack to the filmThe Final Comedown.

For most of 1978 Grant was in the hospitaland against the advice of doctors, went back on the road to earn money. While in New York City to play an engagement atGeorge Benson's Breezin' Lounge, he collapsed in his car of a heart attack and died on January 31, 1979. He was buried inGreenwood Cemeteryin his hometown of St. Louis and was survived by six children, including his sonGrant Green Jr.,who is also a guitarist.

Equipment

Green used aGibson ES-330,then a Gibson L7 with a Gibson McCarty pickguard/pickup, anEpiphoneEmperor (with the same pickup), and finally had a custom-builtD'Aquisto.According to his protégé and fellow guitarist Benson, Grant achieved his tone by turning off the bass and treble settings of his amplifier as well as maximizing the midrange. That way he could get his signature punchy, biting tone.

Discography

Main article:Grant Green discography

External links

• Grant Greendiscography atDiscogs
• Grant Greendiscography atMusicBrainz
• Grant GreenatFind a Grave
• Grant Greendiscography project
• Grant Greendiscography at Jazzlists
• Playing Jazz Guitar in the Style of Grant Green