Grant Geissman (born April 13, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist and Emmy-nominated composer. He has recorded extensively for several labels since 1976 and played guitar on the theme for Monk and other TV series.
Career
Geissman was born in Berkeley, California and grew up in San Jose.[1] When he was 11 years old, Geissman began his first guitar lesson with his private teacher Mrs. Allen. After his private tutoring was completed, he began taking guitar lessons from local musicians, such as Geoff Levin (of the pop group People!), Don Cirallo,[2] Bud Dimock, and Terry Saunders. Encouraged by these teachers to learn jazz standards and to improvise, he began playing in rock bands on weekends and also with small jazz groups and big bands. As a high school senior, he entered formal study with avant-garde guitarist Jerry Hahn, who introduced him to the music of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman.[3]