Portland observer., September 29, 1982, Page 7, Image 7

Portland Observer, September 29,1982 Page 7
European countries. During two-year period, he was with Henderson in Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and some Canadian cities.
He also went to Europe three time with drummer Tony W illiams. Some
o f those tours included Portland musicians, Pat Ahearn and Todd Carver.
Another album is a distinct possibility and Grant says he already has ma­
terial for it. He is looking for label or a backer and until he lines that up he
is hesitant to say much about the album’s instrumentation or personnel. He
does say it will be a true representation o f himself and what he does. Like
many other Portland musicians w ith national reputations, G rant likes it
here and has no plans to leave. He says in the past ten to twelve years he has
seen a gradual increase in interest in jazz.
“ There is nothing comparable to Portland this side o f Chicago,” he says.
“ In an absolute sense there’s more jazz here than in Seattle and on a per-
capita basis there’s more here than in Los Angeles and San Francisco."
He doesn’t rule out moving away but says he and his wife o f 13 years are
very happy and comfortable in their Portland home.
He feels Portland musically and culturally is a nurturing community. He
sayd, " A n y setting in America can have excellent players, but here there are
excellent teachers, a school like M t. Hood Community College and good in­
fluential musicisms to nurture other younger players. This goes back to the
’30s when there was lots o f jam m ing and inexperienced musicians could
listen to and pick up from more established players."
When it comes to goals, G rant certainly has established a high one for
himself. H e would like to do more w riting but not just f lu ff tunes. He
would like to write music that will endure much like Duke E llin g to n ’s,
music that will span generations.
Currently, Grant is working six nights a week in Portland.
I caught his act at Cousins last week w ith bassist Brad H e rre t and
drummer Gary Hobbs. The audience was delighted by the performance.
Grant was using an acoustic piano and it was evident that they were very
well rehearsed and tight. G rant’s interpretations o f jazz standards were sen­
sitive and soulful. On some of the tunes, the group reminds one o f the A h­
mad Jamal T rio in that it was like six hands controlled by one brain, and a
very creative one at that.
His vocals showed a great maturity and improvement. His phrasing is im­
peccable.
The group appears at Delevans Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and at
Cousins Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
COMING
AL G R A N T
Jazz Man
by Dick Buifle
Back in the 1940s and '50s when jazz lovers were looking for that certain
record, more often than not they headed to the corner o f N . Williams and
Broadway where “ the" city's record store, the M adrona, was located.
It was owned and operated by A1 Grant, a jazz lover in his own right, pi­
anist and former vaudevillian dancer. I f you were to have looked closely,
you might have seen a small dark-haired boy helping out and Sometimes lis­
tening to the endless supply o f good jazz records.
The boy was A l’s son Tom , now one o f Portland’s premier jazz pianists
and vocalists. No doubt about it, that early exposure to jazz and the day’s
popular black music heavily influenced what Tom Orant is doing musically
today.
In a recent interview, Grant said, “ Errol Garner w ai one o f the earliest
and most powerful piano influences on my style. I also listened a lot to John
Coltrane, Thelonius M onk, Horace Silver and all the Miles Davis bands.”
Grant took his first piano lessons from his father and then moved toward
the classical side taking lessons for several years from Elizabeth Tressler.
After that it was back to jazz and lessons from well-known Portland master
Gene Confer.
A lot o f time has passed and the old Madrona is gone but its influence is
still strong in the playing o f now 36-year-old Tom Grant.
Tom is one o f many Portland-based musicians who has recorded both as
a leader and sideman on national labels.
His first-ever recording was with Portland tenorman Jim Pepper done in
a New York studio. His second came with reed player Charles Lloyd. He
says, “ It's called ’ M anhattan Skyline’ or something like that. I heard it ’s
very good but I haven’t heard it myself. But I keep looking for it in stores so
I can hear it ."
He has two albums on which he is the leader. The first, recorded in De­
cember, 1975, is titled “ mystified" and features tenor player Joe Hender­
son, P o rtlan d drum m er Ron Steen and New Y o rk bassist Rick L a ird .
Pressed on the Timeless International label, the album contains several ori­
ginal Grant tunes plus some jazz standards. Reportedly the album is still
selling well, particularly in Europe where it was first distributed.
The second album, although an artistic success, has left Orant in the dark
as far as the financial rewards go. Recorded on the now defunct W M O T
label, it featured a flock o f Portland musicians including trumpeter Dick
Burdell, drummer Gary Hobbs, bassist Lester McFarland and tenor player
Dennis Springer. In addition Patrice Rushen sang and world renowned
drummer Tony Williams appeared on one cut. As did Portland pianist Jeff
Lorber.
When asked how well the album was selling, Grant says, “ I ’m having
(rouble getting my royalty checks. When a company goes out o f business,
they can get pretty ornery."
G ran t’s on-the-road tours have taken him to Europe several times. His
first came with Joe Henderson. That one started in Canada and went to ten
LITTLE
RICHARD
TO THE
N.W. Service Center Auditorium
Downtown Portland (corner Everett & NW 19th,
FREE-THREE BIG DAYS
Hear this exciting, dynamic Evangelist
who has come from Rock & Roll to the Rock o f Ages
plus comedian
Le Roy
Daniels
George Page - M. C.
FRI. OCT. 15
Lung Fung
8 p m & 1 1 :1 5 p m
8001 S.E. Division
Tickets on sale: LUNG FUNG and at HOUSE OF SOUND $12“
FRI & SAT.Oct 8, 9 at 7 pm
SUNDAY, Oct. 10 at 4 pm
EVERYONE WELCOME
FREE
Pastor Moses Brown presiding - phone 284-9072