Tom Grant (jazz musician)
Tom Grant (born February 22, 1946) is an American smooth jazz/jazz fusion pianist and vocalist. Biography. Tom Grant was born in Portland, Oregon, to a musical family. His father was a tap dancer who owned a record store in Portland, and his brother was an avant-garde jazz pianist. Grant learned to play piano and drums when he was young. After graduating from the University of Oregon, he traveled to New York City in 1970 with Native American saxophonist Jim Pepper. This led to Grant touring and recording with jazz greats Woody Shaw, Charles Lloyd , and Tony Williams. Grant cut his first solo record for Timeless in 1976, and in 1979 he formed his own band. Beginning in 1983, Grant started recording a series of jazz-influenced pop albums that have variously been called "New Adult Contemporary", "Quiet Storm", "Contemporary Jazz" and "Smooth Jazz"; each have been best-sellers in the lite jazz market. Grant has been featured on CNN and has been a guest on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". And he has composed music for TV and radio. Discography. As sideman. With Charles Lloyd