Larry Grenadier
Acoustic Bass
60 age
February 6, 1966 Birthday
San Francisco, California, U.S. Birthplace
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About
Larry Grenadier is one of the most accomplished jazz double bassists of the contemporary era, recognized for his lyrical tone, harmonic sophistication, and responsive ensemble playing. He has been a member of the Brad Mehldau Trio since 1995, recording the acclaimed Art of the Trio series and over a dozen albums together. He co-founded the cooperative trio Fly with Mark Turner and Jeff Ballard, and is a member of Hudson with John Scofield, John Medeski, and Jack DeJohnette. His sideman credits include Pat Metheny, Charles Lloyd, Paul Motian, Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, Gary Burton, and Joshua Redman. In 2019, he released his first album as a leader, The Gleaners, a solo bass recording for ECM produced by Manfred Eicher that DownBeat called "a testament to one of our generation's true bass craftsmen." He is married to singer-songwriter Rebecca Martin, with whom he has recorded seven albums.
Trivia
Grenadier played on a significant portion of D'Angelo's debut album Brown Sugar. He studied English literature at Stanford University despite planning a music career, believing it would teach him "how to get under the surface of things." His solo album The Gleaners features compositions by Paul Motian, Wolfgang Muthspiel, and his wife Rebecca Martin alongside pieces by Gershwin and Coltrane. He uses scordatura tunings derived from seventeenth-century violin practice to extend the sonic range of his instrument.
Early Life
Larry Grenadier was born on February 6, 1966, in San Francisco into a musical family. His father was a trumpet player who had served in World War II army bands, and his two older brothers played trumpet and guitar. He began on trumpet at ten but switched to bass the following year, studying with local jazz and classical bass teachers. By sixteen he was playing professionally around the Bay Area, backing Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Johnny Griffin, and Art Farmer. He participated in the Stanford Jazz Workshop as a teenager, where he first met Stan Getz. He enrolled at Stanford University, majoring in English literature, and toured with Getz, who was artist-in-residence there. After graduating in 1989, he moved to Boston to join Gary Burton's band before relocating to New York in 1991.
Larry Grenadier Solos
1995
Acoustic Bass solo - Angst - 1995
3/4 swing in D major at 195 BPM
Acoustic Bass solo - Young Werther - 1995
4/4 swing in F major at 206 BPM