Listen and discover

"Versailles" is the first single from Darrell Grant's MJ New's debut recording: Our Mr. Jackson.

"The New Black” is a music film created by Kalimah Abioto + the first single from Darrell Grant’s live album “THE NEW BLACK," released July 15, 2022, on Lair Hill Records.

From Kalimah:

"The New Black" Music Film features a collection of video portraits and images from The Acebook, an online video project documenting the rich culture and beauty of Black people across locations. The portraits taken were activated in such cultural hotspots as New Orleans, LA; Brooklyn and Harlem New York ( outside of Langston Hughes’ home and The Schomburg), Oakland, California; Mali, West Africa; Paris, France; and the Caribbean. Set to the powerful words of myself and amazing poets: Midnight and Nita Chase, we come together to creatively interact with Darrell's music and share our perspectives on what “The New Black” means. It’s been an honor to collaborate with Darrell Grant on his new music project: “The New Black.”

In this episode of Oregon Symphony’s Notations series, composer and pianist Darrell Grant shares his personal journey of learning about the musical history of Portland’s Black community. Once a vibrant mecca, Portland's jazz scene was decimated when the Black community was displaced by freeways and structures.

This moving episode concludes with Grant performing his piece "Crossing the Bridge, Vanport" with musicians of the Oregon Symphony. The song speaks to his belief that “human beings can find ways to communicate across the things that divide us” and is a tribute to those responsible for Portland’s jazz scene in the 1940s.

Behind the scenes and interviews with the creative team of Sanctuaries, a chamber jazz opera commissioned by Third Angle New Music. Filmed on location at the Memorial Coliseum on September 7, 2021. Production by Black Bald Films; Directed by Dru Holley.

"We have chosen to divide the arts into fine arts and applied arts. We have chosen to think of art and craft, we have artists and we have artisans, and we have sort of created this gulf between artists that is created to enhance the mind and art that is created to enhance the life experience." 
Back in August, Portland Art Museum gave me the opportunity to tease out these notions and the ideas of beauty in utility, of originality, and posterity when reflecting on the design and craft of a Wasco ladle and a Cowlitz basket in the museum's Native American Galleries.

Dan and Micha from Myrtle Glen Farm recorded the April 1, 2017 performance in Elliott State Forest raising awareness of the pending land board vote on the sale of the land. On May 9, 2017, the land board voted unanimously to stay the sale of the land. 

Darrell Grant recorded three tracks from his latest album, The Territory in the OPB studios on March 17 for Oregon Art Beat. http://www.opb.org/television/programs/artbeat/segment/jazz-pianist-and-composer-darrell-grant/