Contemporary Jazz Guitarist & Composer
Say That!
(2006)
Legendary guitarist Grant Geissman has thrown down the gauntlet that separates the Jazz men from the Smooth Jazz boys. Say That! is a triumph, a collection of thirteen original Grant Geissman compositions that play like a righteous melding of 1960s Wes Montgomery, Horace Silver, and Jimmy Smith.
It's real music that swings, simmers, smolders, and burns. It's good for the soul, and anything but 'smooth'. Featuring the jazz version of the Theme from Two and a Half Men, the hit CBS-TV series (composed by Geissman). Original cover art by beat/'low brow' artist Miles Thompson! Includes a full color insert with extensive liner notes by noted jazz critic Bill Milkowski, and a bonus facsimile piece of sheet music for Say That!
Track List
1. Say That! [5:54]
2. What's The Story? [5:10]
3. Point Of View [6:18]
4. Theme From Two And A Half Men [5:03]
5. Yes Or No? [5:33]
6. New York Stories [6:09]
7. Grandfather's Banjo [4:27]
8. Bossa [5:27]
9. Wrong Is Right [6:02]
10. Spy Versus Spy [5:46]
11. Siete [4:54]
12. Below The Radar [3:30]
13. Wes Is More [9:50]
Features
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Featuring the jazz version of the "Theme from Two and a Half Men," the hit CBS-TV series!
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Original cover artwork by beat/"lowbrow" artist Miles Thompson, with art direction by Francesca Restrepo and Grant Geissman!
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Ultra cool packaging, in a hip, retro-style "Mini LP" Compact Disc gatefold sleeve!
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Includes a full color insert sheet, with extensive liner notes by noted jazz critic Bill Milkowski!
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Bonus facsimile piece of sheet music for "Say That!"
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With Emilio Palame, Tom Ranier, Jim Cox, Russell Ferrante, Trey Henry, Ray Brinker, Dennis C. Brown, Tierney Sutton (wordless vocal on "Bossa"), and Brian Scanlon!
Reviews
"Grant Geissman returns to his straightahead roots with Say That!, which features searing originals embedded with tradition."
- Jim Santella, All About Jazz
"Geissman's Quintet jumps from rootsy blues and modern funk to brisk, Wes Montgomery-inspired jazz without sounding affected or contrived."
- August Brown, Los Angeles Times
"Geissman swings, hipster cool, through arrangements that are tasteful, inventive, and free of the improvisational complacency common to smooth jazz."
- Ed Bumgardner, Winston-Salem Journal
"This release is a potent statement made by Geissman; he is abandoning a path of smooth jazz that has embraced him for years. This effort is created for the musician's ear, and others are invited along for the ride."
- Dr. Mike, radioioJazz
"Smooth jazz fans may be slow to check out Grant Geissman's Say That!, but every other jazz collector should snap it up and join the fun (which includes the colorful Miles Thompson artwork and Bill Milkowski's enjoyable liner notes)."
- Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
"First-rate L.A.-based contemporary guitarist offers a set of sturdy cookers and other moods. Geissman's clean, open sound and keen ear for good notes lights up these pieces."
- Zan Stewart, The Newark, New Jersey Star Ledger
"A new album that has its roots in the sounds of Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, and Jimmy Smith, but with a fresh, contemporary edge. Jazz radio should jump on this modern interpretation of the sounds and styles that once made commercial jazz radio 'electric.'"
- Ed Trefzger, JAZZWEEK
"A great statement that should break him out of the smooth jazz ghetto, where he doesn't belong, this is the kind of smoking set that will have believers making others into believers. Hot stuff from one of the great, contemporary undervalued pros."
- Chris Spector, Midwest Record Recap
"Geissman is a helluva guitarist, electric and acoustic. Rich in variety, this is a great album for those who don't realize they like jazz, and for those who do."
- Jim Newsom, Portfolio Weekly, Norfolk, VA
"A stellar ensemble of West Coast players on a thirteen-track set that displays Geissman's amazing songwriting skills and guitar chops."
- Sounds of Timeless Jazz
"This aggressive blowing session is a welcome surprise from the guitarist best known for his work with Chuck Mangione."
- Dan Forte, Vintage Guitar
"Say That! exudes warmth, playfulness, and a sense of humor in both Geissman's supple, single-note solos and the feel of such tradition-anchored originals as 'Below the Radar,' 'Grandfather's Banjo,' and the 10-minute closer, 'Wes is More.'"
- David Okamoto, Ice Magazine
"He's back! Geissman's clear roots in the jazz mainstream, and a less-is-more style that reveals greater depth, makes Say That! a welcome return to the fold for a guitarist who's always deserved more street cred than he's received."
- John Kelman, All About Jazz
"Say That! is a fun and infectious outing, and filled with solid musicianship. Geissman and company show also their versatility with aplomb.
- Gary C.W. Chun, The Honolulu Star Bulletin
"Guitarist Geissman's built a solid rep as a smooth-jazz player since his early days with Chuck Mangione, but this fine solo outing represents an effort to distance himself from a format he now dismisses as Muzak."
- Bliss, Pasadena Weekly