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On Sharon Clark's tribute to singer-pianist Shirley Horn: "a combo led by pianist Chris Grasso conjures the intimate sound of Horn's trio." – The Washington Post on the Sharon Clark's new release. "Pianist Chris Grasso can lay the blues on, having certainly listened to Red Garland . . . Grasso's bouncing intro and deftly light touch disguises the virility of his solo, single notes ringing like a cross between Horace Silver and Gene Harris." – www.allaboutjazz.com on Janine Gilbert-Carter's latest release. Check out performance vidoes of Chris with vocalists Sharón Clark, Felicia Carter and Ronald Douglas. Chris Grasso is a Washington, D.C.-based jazz pianist who specializes in working with vocalists. Chris has performed live on WPFW, Washington, D.C.'s jazz station, with jazz greats Keter Betts and Buck Hill. He also has appeared with Ken Peplowski and the Chuck Redd Quartet, and with New Orleans' historic jazz family, the Jordans (Marlon, Stephanie and Rachel). Chris appeared with vocalist Sharón Clark on the National Mall as part of the 2007 Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. The band also was featured in 2006 and 2007 at the Cape May Jazz Festival. In addition, Chris has made multiple appearances at the East Coast Jazz Festival. He also has appeared at all the major venues in the Washington, D.C. area, including the One Step Down, Blues Alley, Twins Jazz, Bohemian Caverns, the Smithsonian Jazz Cafe, the Kennedy Center, and the Music Center at Strathmore. Chris serves as Music Director for Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C. He also is on the jazz faculty of the Washington Conservatory of Music. Prior to pursuing a career in jazz, Chris studied classical piano at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he earned a Bachelor of Musical Arts degree and won the university's concerto competition. He also placed third in the National Chopin Competition and has appeared as a concerto soloist with the University of Michigan Philharmonic and the Syracuse Symphony. After college, he took an eight-year break from music, working as a journalist and earning a law degree from the University of California-Berkeley. For booking information, or to join Chris' e-mail list, contact: . |
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