Early in the twenty-first century it seemed that, finally, the jazz loving world was starting to pick up on guitarist Grant Green. Hallelujah!
His rhythmic playing being neither complicated nor particularly flashy, Green stayed off the radar of casual jazz fans for far too long. Yet he was all over bebop and worked with many of the biggest names of the Sixties. Herbie Hancock, Yusef Lateef, McCoy Tyner… and more brilliant organists than you could shake a plectrum at.
Grant Green was born in St Louis in 1935, and by the age of thirteen was playing guitar in a gospel group. That soulful training would surface in his jazz playing again and again, most notably on his 1962 album Feelin’ The Spirit (with guest Herbie Hancock). But young Grant was also steeped in the blues and loved exploring and improvising in a way that evokes the subdued intensity of great blues singers. You can hear this clearly on the opening cut of his superb 1964 album Idle Moments.
That opening piece,”Idle Moments”, was written by pianist Duke Pearson whose languid piano opening lures us into a piece that builds to an epic fifteen minute daydream. A couple of minutes in, Green eases into his first solo. As befits the title, this is reflective, pensive jazz; laid back and dreamy. Unhurried. After the leader, Pearson takes a turn, keeping the same limpid blues feels. There are points where he even uses the piano’s sustain pedal to enhance the feel of a liquid cascade, unusual in jazz piano at the time. Joe Henderson steps forward and, while keeping the same feel, gives a whole new perspective on the melodic themes, his breathy tone and mid-register playing adding a satisfying tonal richness. The final solo is vibe master Bobby Hutcherson who, to my ears, brilliantly follows the improvisational cues of Henderson while referring back to the stylistic feel of Pearson’s piano. You could fall asleep, except that it is so quietly exciting listening to these top notch musicians fill the sound stage. At the end you want to wind back and hear it all again.
The rest of the LP is no less engaging. Side one is completed by a Grant Green original, “Jean De Fleur”. This is a much more uptempo number driven with swing by drummer Al Harewood. Green’s solo really jumps and darts but is always melodic; Henderson is in bebop heaven and Hutcherson’s mallets literally dance over the bars.
The second side repeats the combination of one long and one shorter track, with a bluesy version of John Lewis’s “Django” (a piece first appearing on a Modern Jazz Quartet LP in 1955) followed by another Pearson original, “Nomad”.
Despite checking out way too young—he died in 1979 at the age of forty-three—Grant Green’s catalogue is impressive. Idle Moments is his twenty-first album; he managed twenty-four under his own name by the end of the Sixties, after which his albums went in a more funky direction. This hugely influenced the Eighties Acid Jazz scene, rekindling interest in the guitarist’s career… but that is another story.
Today our tale ends with the words of Duke Pearson who, in addition to being a sought after session pianist, held an A&R position at Blue Note. Green, he wrote in his liner notes, “cannot be easily typed”. Pearson goes on:
“From the moody “Idle Moments”, to the swiftly moving “Jean de Fleur”, graduating to the blue-tinged “Django”, and finally to the roving “Nomad”, Grant Green is always at home”.
You might enjoy welcoming him into your home too, to share some idle moments.
Grant Green "Idle Moments" [Blue Note 1965, this re-issue 2021]
© Bruce Jenkins—January 2022. First published at Discrepancy Records, reposted with kind permission.
vinylconnection.com.au 
Born to enjoy Idle Moments, it’s a favourite of mine.
~
However, I’m giving Feelin’ the Spirit another whirl because the country feel of the opener never appealed to me. Even Billy Higgins’ drumming seemed to lack delicacy.
Cheers Bruce,
Thanks
DD
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I see what you did there in the first line. 🙂
“Feelin’ the Spirit” has never been a fave, so I’m following your lead and listening now.
“Just A Closer Walk” is more Presbyterian than Southern Baptist, isn’t it? Not eve Herbie H can work up much enthusiasm. I think I’ve kept this for “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child”. I wonder if I’ll still be drawn in this time…
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I’ll play side two sometime…
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Background to dinner… okay. HH pretty good overall.
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one of my favorite jazz albums. the opening track is out of this world
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Super, Keith. It’s a good ‘un.
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I heard Wes Montgomery’s great “Bumpin’” on RealJazz yesterday, and made my own list of the greatest jazz guitarists. Grant Green was on it.
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Montgomery’s “Willow weep for me” was my first jazz guitar album way, way back. (In passing, I think “Bumpin’” is better!).
For my money GG should certainly be on any respectable jazz guitarist list. 🙂
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Thanks for the intro to Grant Green and this album, “Idle Moments,” which I didn’t know – instant love!!!
Green’s music sounds like a perfect fit for my Sunday Six posts, which I like to open with a jazz track. While I’ve noted Green as a sideman on a couple of previous occasions, I haven’t featured any recordings of him as a leader. I suspect that’s going to change soon. Once it does, I shall give you a shoutout! 🙂
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Do, Christian. I’ve been championing Grant G for decades now. Couldn’t believe he wasn’t widely known and cherished. Seems that has changed, thank goodness. This is an excellent entry point, btw.
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Ooo, big, big fan here! My fave albums of his as leader are “Feelin’ the Spirit” (1963, Blue Note, with Herbie) and “Grantstand” (1962, Blue Note, with Yusef). Grant always features strongly and regularly on both my ever-evolving Jazz and Gospel Playlists, his tone amazing, his technique beautiful.
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I’ve recently been returning to Nigeria, JES. Interesting history, great playing.
Grantstand is a corker!
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Nice one Bruce, I’m a fan too although I don’t own any GG I do have him as a side man on all sorts of Blue Note releases. My jazz chum is a guitarist and just worships Mr Green, don’t tell him but I like Wes Montgomery even more!
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Sweet, Joe. I love Wes too. He was my first jazz guitar discovery (“Willow Weep For Me”, on Verve, since you ask). But the use of strings and his pop song inclusions don’t wear so well for me. I guess Grant is a bit more jazz. It’s funny that both have a signature trope; octaves for Wes and repeated notes for Grant.
Anyhoo (as those wonderfully bolshie Canadians might say) I look forward to a Grant Green post sometime.
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I will Grant him some more listens. Love your reminders of this music. Makes me make up my mind on what to drop the needle on.
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Good cal
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[…] Grant’s First Stand. Shout-out to fellow blogger Bruce from Vinyl Connection, who in March covered Green’s 1965 album Idle Moments. I immediately loved the sound of Green who apparently has […]
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