© -Steven
Cerra , copyright protected; all rights reserved.
“Grant Geissman's latest CD
looks like a five-inch homage to the album-cover artist Jim Flora, with a
cartoon of the guitarist serenading a bikini-clad redhead on the cover, and a
collage in the center spread crammed with beatnik musicians, cats, birds and a
pink elephant. The disc itself is designed like a vinyl record, complete with
fake grooves.
Musically, Geissman takes a
step into the past too, abandoning his smooth-jazz track record in favor of
rootsy sound based in soulful hard bop, with a little New Orleans and upbeat
melodies that still go down smoothly without the gloss.
From the Horace
Silver-influenced title track to "Theme From Two and a Half Men,"
which gives the guitarist and Brian Scanlon (on soprano sax) a chance to blow
over the sitcom theme, Geissman proves himself to be no wallflower when he puts
his mind to it. But often tracks like "Bossa," with wordless vocals
by Tierney Sutton, or "Wes Is More," with an excessive section of
traded fours and twos with organist Jim Cox, come off more like bossa nova and
blues without the necessary roughness.”
- Mike Shanley Review of Grant Geissman’s Say
That! CD in JazzTimes APRIL
2006
“Grant Geissman's third in a
trilogy of wildly eclectic outings once again has the versatile guitarist
indulging in more than a few of his favorite things. From loping funk to
boogaloo to earthy blues shuffles, with a haunting ballad, a beautiful samba
and an urgently swinging post-bop romp thrown into the mix —along with touches
of classical, flamenco and zydeco — he covers all the bases with authority on “Bop! Bang! Boom!
'It's all stuff I'm
interested in and like to play, so it just comes out," says the San Jose
native who is well known for his improvised guitar solo on Chuck Mangione's
1978 pop crossover hit 'Feels So Good* and more recently for co-writing the
theme for the hit CBS-TV sitcom Two and a Half Men ("Men, men, men, men,
manly men!*] ‘I have eclectic tastes and the way I play and write follows that.
And since this album is on my own label, I get to do what I want!’”
- Bill Milkowski, liner notes
“One of the reasons I created
my own label, Futurism, was so that I could explore anything I wanted—which to
me is what an artist is supposed to do.”
- Grant Geissman
Like his
counterpart, guitarist Lee Ritenour, who is affectionately known as “Captain
Fingers” for his legendary ability to play any style of guitar at a moment’s
notice, Grant Geissman really knows his way around a recording studio.
Grant is a Pro’s
Pro: he brings it; he lays it down; it’s perfect. No need for another take.
It’s done. Let’s move on.
Given the amount
of money that record producers have to spend to develop an album, Grant’s
ability to make it happen and to make it happen right the first time is why
he’s first call on most contractor’s lists.
Grant also
understands the technical aspects of the studio; he's savvy about the processes
involved with making a recording. Whether it’s the sound board, the mix, the
use of electronics and synthesizers to create and enhance the music, Grant
knows about this stuff.
More importantly,
Grant knows enough about all of these elements of engineering sound so that he
can make them subservient to the final product – good music.
Grant also
surrounds himself with musicians who are at home creating Jazz in a studio
environment.
In recent years,
Grant has taken matters a step further with the formation of his own label - Futurism
Records.
Beginning in 2006
with Say
That! and following in 2009 with Cool Man Cool, Grant has
offered eclectic Jazz stylings that appeal to a wide range on interests: some
Smooth Jazz; some Latin Jazz; some straight-head Bebop – all infused with
Grant’s sophisticated studio sensibilities.
Bop! Bang! Boom!, the latest CD in the series, was released
by Grant on July 17, 2012
In addition to a
whole host of special guest such as saxophonist Tom Scott, guitarist Larry
Carlton and keyboard artist Russell
Ferrante who join Grant on selected tracks, there is the bonus of the artwork of
Miles Thompson that graces these CDs and is very reminiscent of the classic LP cover
art that Jim Flora developed for many RCA and Columbia
Here’s what
Michael Bloom Media Relations had to say about Bop! Bang! Boom!:
“[This CD] is the
third album in a loosely fashioned trilogy that reflects Grant Geissman's shift
to more traditional jazz expressions. The powerfully eclectic follow-up to Say
That! and Cool Man Cool includes amped-up ventures into numerous genres
that reflect Geissman's multitude of passions.
The key to making
meaningful music for me is to not limit myself stylistically. I actually can't
envision writing an album where every track sounds the same. One of the reasons
I created my own label, Futurism, was so that I could explore anything I
wanted—which to me is what an artist is supposed to do. I don't know what
happens after Bop! Bang! Boom!, it might be completely different. But it's not
about having a master plan, it's about writing and recording music that excites
and inspires me.”
Geissman co-wrote
the Emmy-nominated theme (and also co-writes the underscore) for the hit CBS-TV
series Two and Q Half Men. He also co-writes the underscore for the hit series
Mike & Molly (also on CBS). As a studio musician, he has recorded with such
artists as Quincy Jones, Chuck Mangione (playing the now-classic guitar solo on
the 1977 hit "Feels So Good77), Lorraine Feather, Cheryl Bentyne, Van Dyke
Parks, Ringo Starr, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, Joanna Mewsom, Inara
George, Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello.”
Here’s a taste of
the music on Bop! Bang! Boom! The tune is Un Poco Español on which Grant plays his mellow-sounding 1972
Hernandis nylon string classical guitar with Russell Ferrante featured on
piano.
