Jazz guitar player Grant Geissman’s first instrument was the piano which he played for a few months at the age of six. It was his grandfather, an amateur banjoist, who bought Geissman his first guitar and some guitar tab books when he was twelve years old. The young musician fell in love with the instrument, at first playing only rock and pop music. Then at the age of fifteen Geissman began to take an interest in jazz and jazz/rock guitar music.
While he was in his senior year at high school Grant Geissman began to study with jazz guitarist and educator Jerry Hahn. It was Hahn that opened the young guitarist’s ears to the music of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and other modern jazz greats. After graduating from high school Geissman went on to study music with Herb Patnoe who was a director of the Stan Kenton Jazz Clinics at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. He made such rapid progress that he was soon hired to teach at a summer workshop using jazz guitar tab books.
In 1974 Grant Geissman entered the California State University at Northridge where he continued his music studies. As part of his course Geissman studied the classical guitar as well as some blues guitar tab books and this would later help extend his virtuosity. Whilst he was at Northridge the guitarist’s reputation spread to nearby Hollywood. Here he was called on to work on commercial jingles for television and radio and also on jazz recording dates with Tony Rizzi, Louie Bellson and others.
In 1976 Grant Geissman was offered the opportunity to play in concert with Chuck Mangione. This proved successful leading to more concert dates and several recording sessions with the famous trumpeter. Since that time Grant Geissman has developed a reputation as one of best of the new generation of jazz guitarists with several recordings released as leader. He also released a series of acoustic guitar tab books around the same time.
Jazz guitar player Egberto Gismonti came from a musical family who played mainly popular Brazilian songs and some classical music. He began to play the piano at the age of six. He continued to study classical piano for fifteen years and then went on to study orchestration and musical analysis with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. While in Paris Gismonti also studied practical orchestration and composition with composer Jean Barlaque, a student of Schoenberg and Webern.
Egberto Gismonti returned to Brazil and was much in demand as an arranger and composer. In 1966 he performed Ravel’s “Piano Concerto in G”, a piece in which the composer is influenced by George Gershwin. After this concert Gismonti decided that he wished to broaden his musical career to incorporate many different styles including jazz and Brazilian folk music. In 1967 Gismonti began to play the jazz guitar because he wanted to play Brazilian choro music. He was self taught but was influenced by the recordings of jazz guitarist Baden Powell and a Brazilian seven string guitar player called Deno.
In 1973 Egberto Gismonti started to play the eight string classical guitar. This instrument, with its extra range, allowed him to achieve many of the effects and sounds he wished to incorporate into his highly original music. Gismonti’s individual guitar style continued to develop after he heard the recordings of Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, John McLaughlin, Jimi Hendrix and other guitarists. In 1976 he spent a month with the Xingu Indians in the Amazon jungle. The influence of this period with the Indians can be heard on his first record album for the ECM label, ‘Danca Das Cabecas’.
Egberto Gismonti has recorded and performed extensively in Brazil and appeared at major music festivals throughout the world. His many recordings have achieved impressive sales, some winning awards. He has worked with his own group and appeared with famous Brazilian musicians including Airto, Moreira, Flora Purim and Paul Horn. Gismonti has composed and played on the soundtrack of eleven films. As well as playing the jazz guitar Gismonti plays acoustic and electric keyboards, sitar, accordion, cello, all types of flutes and other ethnic instruments.
Many aspire to become a music producer. It may seem glamorous and simple for the majority but in reality it’s a tough industry built only for strong-willed and hardworking people.