Grant Green

6th June 1931 - 31st January 1979

orn in St. Louis Missouri, guitarist Grant Green first played professionally with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest in his home town and made his recording debut with Forrest in 1959.

He is noted for his work in guitar / organ / drum trios in the early '60s and began recording under his own name using musicians such as Joe Henderson (tenor sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), Elvin Jones (drums), John Patton (organ) and Larry Young (organ).

Drug addiction interrupted his career in the late 60's and 70's and he died in 1979.

Some of his later recordings are not to my taste at all, being tediously funky, but earlier recordings - some released posthumously - show him more than capable of holding his own in the best jazz company.