Student’s solo guitar EP to spin traditional jazz styles with playful style

Grant Grech wants his music to have a voice of its own.

The second-year psychology student said he is releasing his solo EP, “Grant Grech Plays Guitar,” to showcase his modern spin on a traditional, classical jazz style. Inspired by jazz musician Chet Baker and modern musicians like Graham Dechter and Pasquale Grasso, Grech said he merges his traditional jazz style with Grasso’s and Dechter’s uses of bebop and swing. Releasing previously written songs with his own arrangements, Grech said he hopes that anyone who listens to his EP will understand his playful take on classical guitar.

“I just wanted four songs,” Grech said. “It is a sample of what I play; that way, people can understand, so I don’t have to describe how I play. It just speaks for itself.”

The artist said he enjoys the intellectual side of music, as he typically spends much of his time listening to and mimicking records to learn to play them by ear. He has played guitar since he was 14 and said his love for jazz music began after his teacher showed him records from his now most admired musicians. And although he did not write any of the songs for the EP, Grech said he arranges tracks from his favorite artists.

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The first song on the EP is Grech’s own arrangement of “My Old Flame,” which he originally discovered through Ella Fitzgerald’s recording of it. Following in the footsteps of his major musical inspirations, Grech said he is working on classical-inspired solo guitar that sets him apart from a more modern take on jazz music that is currently popular.

As he spends his free time immersed in his guitar, Grech said promoting his EP is one thing he tends to overlook as he is not as proficient in it. He said he hopes to continue posting small samples of his music on his Instagram stories to reach more listeners.

“I play whenever I have free time,” Grech said. “It’s like playing with your favorite toy – it doesn’t get old. I’m excited to get to it whenever I finish what I have to do. I am always playing around with my guitar.”

Xavier Hogan, a bass player and one of Grech’s close friends, said he would describe Grech’s style as romantic and cohesive. Making music has shaped how Grech interacts with others, making him more collaborative, Hogan said. When the pair have jam sessions, Hogan said there is a shift in Grech’s normal, college persona to musical character in which he is his most comfortable, expressive self.

“When Grech is behind the guitar he has the biggest smile on his face,” Hogan said. “And that is the real (Grech), behind the guitar.”

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Six months ago, Grech reached out to Dechter, so he could learn more about classical guitar. As a professional musician, Dechter has been working closely with Grech to develop his work and guide him into the world of professional guitar. The artist’s musical talent paired with research and patience is what Dechter said makes Grech a well-rounded musician. Grech followed Dechter’s suggestion to create an EP to share with different venues to hopefully book gigs, Dechter said.

“Grech doing a solo guitar project at his very young age is extremely adventurous,” Dechter said. “The EP project is something that he is putting together all on his own.”

Furthering his repertoire by adding original music to his live performances will help him continue to book shows, he said. In explaining his breakout EP, Grech said he would keep his description simple, letting the songs speak for themselves.

“That’s all the EP is: me playing songs,” Grech said. “I don’t have a big inspiration story for it because it is just me, because I like to play music.”