Danny Grissett

New York-based jazz pianist Danny Grissett is a native of Los Angeles who began playing piano around age five. After receiving his B.A. in Music Education in the late '90s, Grissett went on to study jazz, earning his M.F.A. in Jazz Performance from Cal Arts in 2000. After graduation, Grissett found performance opportunities throughout the Los Angeles area with such notable artists as drummer Billy Higgins, saxophonist Jackie MacLean, and others. In 2003, he relocated to New York City and began playing with a variety of name musicians, including trumpeter Tom Harrell, in whose quintet he is a regular member. Grissett released his debut solo album, Promise, on Criss Cross in 2006. Encounters followed in 2008. In 2009, Grissett paired with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire for the sextet date Form. He then returned to a stripped-down trio format for 2011's Stride. In 2015, Grissett was joined by saxophonist Walter Smith III for the studio effort The In-Between, and the following year saw him team up with Serbian-born guitar player Rale Micic for the album Night Music. Grissett led his own group for the 2017 solo outing Remembrance. ~ Matt Collar