FEELING THE SPIRIT OF GRANT GREEN

He is one of the greatest blues, jazz and funk guitarists of the 1960s and 1970s. His distinctive style stems from the fact that he plays almost exclusively single notes, with his rare chords often consisting of just two or three notes. This probably stems from his admiration for Charlie Parker: according to an interview, he would sometimes spend the night replaying Bird’s solos note for note.

Although very clearly rooted in the blues, he is nevertheless very much at home in bebop and always prioritises rhythmic and melodic effectiveness over technical virtuosity. He pioneered a funk movement that is still highly prized by young musicians today.
Grant Green was the Blue Note label’s star artist during the 1960s. He is highly regarded by organists, as evidenced by his recordings with Jimmy Smith, Big John Patton and Larry Young. He also played with Lou Donaldson, Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, Art Blakey and others.

For this tribute, Alex Freiman – a guitarist who divides his time between Paris and New York – is a true specialist in Grant Green’s music. On tenor saxophone is one of France’s most prominent musicians, Olivier Temime, originally from Marseille. The rhythm section comprises Akim Bournane on double bass and Ton Ton Salut on drums, who have accompanied dozens of jazz stars together!