Rodgers Grant, R.I.P.

[mikeweil]

Only today I read the news about his passing on April12, 2012, at the age of 77. More info here and here.

Most jazz fans will know him from his long engagement in Mongo Santamaria's band - he was on Mongo's first recording of Watermelon Man (the site I linked first reports the funny story about how he ended up playing that session). He wrote several fine pieces for Mongo's band, and with saxist Pat Patrick he wrote Yeh Yeh, to which Jon Hendricks added lyrics - Georgie Fame made it a top hit.

He was a fine pianist, rather under-represented on recordings - besides 1960's sessions of Mongo and Hubert Laws there is a bit of him on Laws' In The Beginning. He was real great at playing guajeos - the Cuban style ostinatos.

Edited April 21, 2012 by mikeweil

[Ted O'Reilly]

He wrote a lovely tune called Morning Star, which guitarists Ed Bickert and Lorne Lofsky just ate up on a record I produced back in 1985. Great changes...

I never knew how to find Mr. Grant to send him a copy of the release. I've recently had it remastered and added some extra tracks. Someday will have enough money to release it again...it's never been on CD.

[GA Russell]

RIP. My first jazz concert was Mongo's band with Hubert Laws in 1967. Maybe Rodgers Grant was on piano.

[Big Al]

Geez, whatta week!!!

Rodgers plays piano on my favorite Hubert Laws album IN THE BEGINNING, and also composed some great tunes on that album as well. That alone makes this sad for me.

RIP

[mikeweil]

RIP. My first jazz concert was Mongo's band with Hubert Laws in 1967. Maybe Rodgers Grant was on piano.

Most likely he was - he joined the band early in 1963 and stayed until 1969 - he is on all of Mongos's Columbia albums of the time.