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The SUNY Fredonia School of Music will welcome back jazz trumpeter and vocalist Joe Gransden, a former SUNY Fredonia student, to perform on Sunday, March, 27 at 7 p.m. in Juliet Rosch Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to public.
Mr. Gransden attended SUNY Fredonia in the early 1990s and was a part of the Jazz Band and director of the student-run Fredonia Jazz Ensemble (FJE). When his family moved to Atlanta, he re-located and completed his degree at Georgia State University.
Gransden, now 38, has played with many of the world’s most famous musicians including Aretha Franklin, The Moody Blues, The Temptations, Barry White, Frank Sinatra, Jr., and others. He began his career with the world-renowned Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller big bands. Gransden later created his own group, The Joe Gransden Big Band, which performs regularly in Atlanta and New York.
He has released 10 CDs, including his newest, “Close To My Heart,” produced by saxophonist Kenny G, with whom Gransden has also recently toured. Since 2004, Joe has been regularly invited to perform for Clint Eastwood and most recently entertained the legendary actor/director at his 80th birthday in Carmel, Calif.
Gransden, originally from New York City, grew up in Buffalo and was preceded by a family of musicians. His grandfather was a professional trumpeter throughout New York. Also in the family is piano virtuoso Carmen Cavallero. Gransden remembers his time on campus fondly. He has remained connected to the school, performing on numerous occasions with Professor Harry Jacobson and providing master classes and clinics for the FJE throughout the years. Gransden hopes his performance at SUNY Fredonia will bring more recognition to the university’s jazz program.
To learn more about Joe Gransden please visit www.joegransden.com or contact Associate Director of Development June Miller-Spann at 716-673-3321 or spannjm@fredonia.edu. Generous support for this performance is provided through the Student Association’s Spectrum Entertainment Board.
