Grant Green

[Milestones]

Wanted to have some comments on Grant Green.

He's been called everything from underrated to the definitive Blue Note guitarist. Some question his chops; others find him distinctive and rewarding. If we look at his Blue Note period alone (especially the first phase), we certainly have to say he recorded like mad--I think he had produced over 20 records in a 5-year period, plus some notable sideman appearances. In fact, I'm curious as to which records actually came out near the time of recording, as opposed to the many that came out 15-25 years later.

I'll only say for now that at times I find his work quite engaging.

Edited March 29, 2013 by Milestones

[CJ Shearn]

There's been so much discussion on GG here over the years. The most recent thread, I recall someone saying (I don't necessarily agree) that Grant was lazy, that he never pushed himself to widen his vocabulary. What he did do, his single note lines were damn fine, and he could just groove like crazy in the pocket. I read he was overly impressed by Benson, but it's definitely true Benson was influenced by him.

[J.A.W.]

Grant Green has been discussed lots of times here. Maybe a search will help you find those threads

[JSngry]

Grant's one of those guys onto whom you can project any and all of your own personal attitudes, pleasures, hangups, kinks, thrills, etc. and make it work.

That's true of most Dead Heroes, but with Grant, you really don't have to work very hard. Whatever you want/need to hear, it's there. Right there.

In that regard, I'm kinda like, if you yourself don't dig Grant Green, it ain't Grant Green's fault for being so fully Grant Green, so yeah Grant Green wins at life afaic.

[Aggie87]

Grant Green has been discussed lots of times here. Maybe a search will help you find those threads

[mjzee]

Yeah, Grant's been discussed here so often that I'm not sure there's more left to say. I have a particular fondness for the "concept" albums: Feelin' The Spirit, The Latin Bit, Am I Blue, and (to a lesser extent) Goin' West. Spirit and Blue I think are very underrated.

[Milestones]

Hmmm...well I searched for a Grant Green thread and didn't find one, at least under Artists--thus I started this one.

[marcello]

This is my favorite:

Nigeria 1962. Guitarist Grant Green performs with Sonny Clark (piano), Sam Jones (bass) and Art Blakey (drums). ARTISTS
Grant Green (guitar); Sonny Clark (piano); Sam Jones (bass); Art Blakey (drums) TRACKS
1. Airegin
2. It Ain't Necessarily So
3. I Concentrate On You
4. The Things We Did Last Summer
5. The Song Is You

[mjzee]

Hmmm...well I searched for a Grant Green thread and didn't find one, at least under Artists--thus I started this one.

OK, support for my complaint today about the board's search function. Let's face it, guys, it sux. IPB, are you listening?

[romualdo]

Hmmm...well I searched for a Grant Green thread and didn't find one, at least under Artists--thus I started this one.

OK, support for my complaint today about the board's search function. Let's face it, guys, it sux. IPB, are you listening?

Yep, I agree

I normally search via Google (or other search engine) & insert organissimo with the criteria

Edited March 29, 2013 by romualdo

[JohnJ]

Hmmm...well I searched for a Grant Green thread and didn't find one, at least under Artists--thus I started this one.

OK, support for my complaint today about the board's search function. Let's face it, guys, it sux. IPB, are you listening?

Yep, I agree

I normally search via Google (or other search engine) & insert organissimo with the criteria

Just searched under Artists, titles only and 15 threads appeared, so not sure what the problem is.

[Gheorghe]

I´m not really good in looking for older threads that already may exist, so I´m glad if someone start´s a thread about a musician where I think I can join into the discussion.....

Needless to say I like Grant Green. But like so many BN-Artists, they did too many albums. Many years ago, when I became somewhat like a BN completist, I got a lot of albums I don´t really listen to frequently. Like the many stuff he did for more commercial reasons.

So if I want to listen to Grant Green now, my choice might be "Idle Moments" or the originally unissuied "Solid" with McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones on it.

If I want a more tender groove with organ on it, I love "I want to hold your hand" with the rare combination Hank Mobley and Larry Young.

Love his lines, his sound and his musicianship. The only think I sometimes regret is that he rarely plays chords. Especially on slow or medium tempos it would be great to have more chords towards the end of a solo. Like Kenny Burrell does...... But anyway, I love them both.

[brownie]

Hmmm...well I searched for a Grant Green thread and didn't find one, at least under Artists--thus I started this one.

OK, support for my complaint today about the board's search function. Let's face it, guys, it sux. IPB, are you listening?

Yep, I agree

I normally search via Google (or other search engine) & insert organissimo with the criteria

That's been working for me for several years now. I rarely use the search function on the Board.

[Jim R]

Hmmm...well I searched for a Grant Green thread and didn't find one, at least under Artists--thus I started this one.

OK, support for my complaint today about the board's search function. Let's face it, guys, it sux. IPB, are you listening?

This really isn't difficult...

Step 1: (Use Advanced Search)... Click on the "gear" icon to the right of the green magnifying glass icon to the right of the search box in the upper right corner of the page.

Step 2: Type Grant Green in the "Find words" field

Step 3: Select "Only search in titles" from the dropdown menu to the right of "Match"

Step 4: Click "Search Now" (if you want plenty of results, no need to select the Artists forum... search all forums is the default setting). Obviously, there are even more filters to choose from if need be.

Step 5: You can sort the results (in this case, 67 threads) by the number of replies by clicking on "Replies" in the heading at the top of the list.

[John L]

This is my favorite:

Nigeria 1962. Guitarist Grant Green performs with Sonny Clark (piano), Sam Jones (bass) and Art Blakey (drums). ARTISTS

Grant Green (guitar); Sonny Clark (piano); Sam Jones (bass); Art Blakey (drums) TRACKS

1. Airegin

2. It Ain't Necessarily So

3. I Concentrate On You

4. The Things We Did Last Summer

5. The Song Is You

This is also my favorite Grant Green album.

[fasstrack]

. The most recent thread, I recall someone saying (I don't necessarily agree) that Grant was lazy, that he never pushed himself to widen his vocabulary.

I was the one who said that. Maybe I went a little far, but it was out of admiration for his talent---and frustration that after a certain point he never seemed to care to grow (beyond the single-string thing, for one thing). Great sound, swing, and lyricism though---more than most people will achieve.

[six string]

This is probably a repeat from my responses on a previous thread but when I first heard Grant Green I was perplexed by the lack of chord playing that is usually part of the guitarist's job in an ensemble so I get it when people call him lazy but like some here, I think those people either think guitars are for comping or they are big Wes fans. Maybe it's a generational thing too although I'm coming up on my 59th BD. Once I began really listening to what Green was doing I got hooked on his style and when he had the right band and the right producer and material he could really light a fire. Some of his repeated single notes could bring up that "lazy" notion in my mind but then he'd pull off a solo like on It' Ain't Necessarily So from Nigeria and the pacing of his improvisation was truly class, class with a little dirt on it but class all the same. He was one of my least loved or least understood jazz guitarists many years ago and now I have a pretty big stack of Grant Green albums. I've avoided his recordings in his waining days after Blue Note but most of his Blue Note (not all mind you) are worthy additions to a jazz fan's collection.

[Milestones]

There is that thing where he does a little riff (if that's the right word) and repeats it literally 15-20 times. I think some listeners like this, and others find it annoying. At first I thought the record was stuck in a groove! But if you've heard even a little Grant Green, you know he does this a lot.

[robertoart]

There is that thing where he does a little riff (if that's the right word) and repeats it literally 15-20 times. I think some listeners like this, and others find it annoying. At first I thought the record was stuck in a groove! But if you've heard even a little Grant Green, you know he does this a lot.

Horace Parlan - Up And Down has the world record for that.

[Hardbopjazz]

Here's one thread

Another. This one I hope will one day surface; highly unlikely though.

[danasgoodstuff]

The GG I'm hoping to see released is/are(?) the 2 outtakes from Carryin' On - two Jimmy Webb Tunes IIRC. That and everything else he ever set to tape!

[Aggie87]

Has anybody ever picked up this Grant Green compilation:

I found it in the bins at Musikhaus Lerche in Stuttgart about 10 years ago, and wanted to buy it. But when I went to the counter for them to fish the actual CD out from behind the counter, they couldn't find the disc! Only copy I've ever seen anywhere.

I think I have all of the tracks on it on their original discs, so not a big deal musically, just thought it was a cool thing to come across. There are copies on the Amazon marketplace, but they start at $70+, so way too rich for my blood.

Edited March 30, 2013 by Aggie87

[robertoart]

Here is some comment on Grant Green.

"Grant Green played some of the most beautiful and moving guitar music ever committed to vinyl".

Me.

[robertoart]

Well originally it was

Gawd, I wish I had all of it on vinyl.

[Jim R]

Has anybody ever picked up this Grant Green compilation:

I found it in the bins at Musikhaus Lerche in Stuttgart about 10 years ago, and wanted to buy it. But when I went to the counter for them to fish the actual CD out from behind the counter, they couldn't find the disc! Only copy I've ever seen anywhere.

I think I have all of the tracks on it on their original discs, so not a big deal musically, just thought it was a cool thing to come across. There are copies on the Amazon marketplace, but they start at $70+, so way too rich for my blood.

I came across it just one time in a brick/mortar situation. Was pretty sure I had everything on it, and walked away with no regrets. $70+ is just plain silly.