Jerry Grant | |
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Born |
Jerome Grant December 31, 1936 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Occupation | Film and television music score/theme composer, Musical arranger, jazz musician |
Years active | 1971-present |
Jerry Grant (born December 31, 1936) is an American film and television music score and theme composer, Musical arranger, and jazz musician.
Born and raised in Detroit, Grant began his career as a jazz/rock studio musician there in Detroit, contributing to Motown Records tracks, while composing and performing in the concert medium. He attended Wayne State University where he received a B.S. degree in music, and subsequently attended the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts for graduate study. He then attended USC for graduate study and received a master's degree in composition at CSU Northridge. Private study on Saxophone and Flute for 6 yrs with Larry Teal, 5 years of private study with George Tremblay in composition, 2 yrs. of private study in composition with Ruth Wylie and 1 yr. of private study in conducting with Lawrence Christensen round out his music training.
While serving in the U.S. Army, Jerry was chosen for the faculty at the band training school. Entering the All Army entertainment contest, he became a finalist with his co-led jazz group. From there, he was chosen to be musical director and arranger for the Rolling Along Show, a 25-member variety review which toured the world entertaining military personnel. Relocating to Los Angeles, he became a studio performing musician on saxophone and flute and began vocal, string and horn arranging for records as well as songwriting, landing a contract at ABC Records. He organized, conducted and composed the library for the 12 piece symphonic Jazz/Fusion group Spectrum for 10 years, from 1971-1981, performing concerts in the Los Angeles area. A review in Variety called it, “exciting, moody and pulsating, laced with dramatic images.” Pete Carpenter heard the group and enlisted him to begin composing as part of a team consisting of him, Grant and fellow TV and film score composer Mike Post, which lasted for another nine years.