Darrell Grant and Eric Cain at the 54th Annual Northwest Regional Emmy Awards.
(Portland, Oregon)—Portland, Oregon-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator Darrell Grant added another feather to his cap Saturday, June 3 when the recipients were announced for the 2017 Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards in Seattle, Washington. Grant was recognized in the Musical Composition/Arrangement category for his composition in Oregon Public Broadcasting’s (OPB’s) Oregon Experience special “JazzTown” Portland’s Golden Jazz Age. Directed by OPB’s Eric Cain, the 30-minute piece explores Portland’s little-known, but vibrant jazz scene in North and Northeast Portland following World War II. The original score is comprised of eight short pieces played by some of Portland’s best modern jazz musicians: Grant on piano, Andre St. James on bass, Chris Brown on drums, Derek Sims on trumpet, and David Evans on saxophone and clarinet. OPB offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Jazz Town’s music in addition to a plethora of resources on the Jazz Town series page. Grant, who was "surprised and humbled" by the recognition, joked that the award is "quite a piece of hardware."
ABOUT DARRELL GRANT
Since his 1988 appearance in vocalist Betty Carter's trio, pianist and composer Darrell Grant has built an international reputation performing with jazz luminaries Frank Morgan, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, Brian Blade, and Esperanza Spalding. He has toured as a bandleader and solo artist in the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe. He has released seven critically-acclaimed albums as a leader, including Black Art—selected as one of 1994’s top ten jazz CDs by the New York Times.
In 2012, Grant was one of 12 composers awarded a Doris Duke Jazz New Works Grant by Chamber Music America. The resulting work "The Territory” premiered at Chamber Music Northwest and has been performed at The DiMenna Center in New York City, and the Portland Jazz Festival. Grant was inducted into the Jazz Society of Oregon Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2011, he was the first recipient of the Kamelia Massih Outstanding Faculty Prize in the Arts from Portland State University, where he is a Professor of Music and directs the Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute. He has been featured on National Public Radio and is a recipient of a 2015 Individual Artist Grant from the Regional Arts & Culture Council. He was named the 2017 Jazz Hero of Portland, Oregon by the Jazz Journalist Association for his work on behalf of the jazz community.
Read more about Darrell Grant and his activities at www.darrellgrant.com. Press kit here.
###
Contact
Kim Morris, Vespertine Works
713.854.6162, kim(at)vespertineworks.com