Darrell Grant

Since the release of his debut album, Black Art, one of the New York Times’ top jazz CDs of 1994, Darrell Grant (piano) has built an international reputation as a pianist, com­poser, and educator who channels the power of music to make change. He has performed throughout the US, Canada, and Europe in venues ranging from Paris’ La Villa jazz club to the Havana Jazz Festival. Dedicated to themes of hope, community, and place, Grant’s compositions include Step by Step: The Ruby Bridges Suite honoring the civil rights icon; The Territory, which explores Oregon’s landscape and history; and Sanctu­aries, a jazz chamber opera exploring gentri­fication. Since moving to Portland, OR, he has been named Portland Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalist Association, won a Northwest Regional Emmy, and received a MAP Fund grant and the Governor’s Arts Award. Grant is a professor of music at Portland State Uni­versity, where he directs the Artist as Citizen Initiative.