María Grand

María Kim Grand (born 1992, Switzerland) is a tenor saxophonist, recording artist, bandleader, vocalist, composer, visual artist, and educator. She has been based in New York City since 2011.

This article is about the Swiss musician. For the Argentinian village, see María Grande. For the South American indigenous leader, see María la Grande. For the religious figure, see Mary, mother of Jesus.
María Grand
Grand in concert at AMR, 2019
Grand in concert at AMR, 2019
Background information
Born1992
Switzerland
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, bandleader, visual artist, educator
Instrument(s)Tenor saxophone, vocals
Years active2011–present
LabelsBiophilia
Websitemariakimgrand.com

Grand has performed with musicians such as Vijay Iyer, Steve Coleman, Greg Fox, Craig Taborn, Steve Lehman, Mary Halvorson, Doug Hammond, Jen Shyu, Rajna Swaminathan, Nicole Mitchell, Tamara Renée, Aaron Parks, Fay Victor, and others. She leads the ensemble DiaTribe. She has toured Europe, the United States, and South America, as both a leader and ensemble member, playing in clubs and concert halls, and at festivals.

Recordings

Her debut EP, TetraWind, was released in 2017 on the Biophilia label, and featured accompaniment by Román Filiú, Rashaan Carter, David Bryant, and Craig Weinrib.[1] NYC Jazz Record selected the EP as “one of the 2017’s best debuts."

Her first full-length album, Magdalena, was issued in 2018 on Biophilia. Along with Carter and Bryant, the album's ensemble included Jasmine Wilson, Amani Fela, Mary Halvorson, Fabian Almazan, and Jeremy Dutton. The album was hailed in Billboard as one of "The 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2018: Critic's Picks."[2]

In 2019 she recorded in a quartet setting as part of drummer Devin Gray’s Algorhythmica.[3] In 2021, she issued Reciprocity (Biophilia Records), a trio setting with Kanoa Mendenhall on bass and Savannah Harris on drums.[4]

Honors

In 2017, Grand received a 2017 Jazz Gallery Residency Commission. In 2018 she was awarded a Roulette Jerome Foundation Commission, and in 2019 became an Artist-in-Residence at the Brooklyn club Roulette.[5]

In 2018 Grand was voted Best New Artist for the 2018 Jazz Times Extended Critics Poll,[6] and was nominated for the Jazz Journalist's Association Up-And-Coming Musician of the Year Award.

The New York Times described Grand as “an engrossing young tenor saxophonist with a zesty attack and a solid tonal range."[7]

References
  1. Reid, Geannine, "Maria Grand: Tetrawind" (review), AllAboutJazz.com, July 24, 2017
  2. Hart, Ron, "The Year in Music 2018: The 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2018: Critic's Picks", Billboard, December 27, 2018
  3. Devin Gray's Algorhythmica on Bandcamp
  4. Attarian, Hrayr, "Maria Grand: Reciprocity", AllAboutJazz.com, May 11, 2021
  5. María Grand: Music as a User’s Manual, Roulette.org
  6. 2018 Expanded Critics’ Poll Results, JazzTimes, Feb. 14, 2019
  7. New York Times concert picks, March 1, 2018
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