Biography

---

Forged in the New York jazz scene and now based in Vienna, Danny Grissett is a pianist and composer of rare elegance, known for combining technical brilliance with a deep, soulful touch. A Los Angeles native, he has been a defining presence on the international jazz scene for over two decades. During his years in New York he quickly became a first-call sideman, sharing stages with jazz luminaries such as Vincent Herring, Nicholas Payton, Jeremy Pelt, Benny Golson, Russell Malone, and Vanessa Rubin. His long-standing collaboration with legendary trumpeter Tom Harrell spanned more than fifteen years and included contributions to seven of Harrell's last thirteen albums. These collaborations solidified his reputation as a masterful interpreter and improviser, blending modern innovation with the depth of jazz tradition.

He launched his solo career in 2006 with Promise, his acclaimed debut on Criss Cross Jazz. Critics praised the album, with All About Jazz calling it "one of the best maiden voyages that I have heard in years," and AllMusic recognizing his "effortless brilliance" and naming him "one of the top three young pianists on the contemporary scene."

Over the following decade, Grissett released six more recordings, balancing his trio projects with sideman work alongside jazz greats and contemporaries such as Louis Hayes, Lenny White, Buster Williams, Lage Lund, Marcus Strickland, and Jimmy Greene. His 2017 album Remembrance, released on Savant Records, earned a 4-star review from DownBeat.

Alongside his performing career, Grissett is deeply dedicated to jazz education. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at The New School in New York, a guest lecturer at the Eastman School of Music, and has led masterclasses worldwide, including in Japan, Italy, South Korea, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Denmark. He is currently a professor at JAM Music Lab University in Vienna.

His latest recording, Travelogue (Savant Records, 2025), has been hailed as a career highlight, reaching #5 on the US JazzWeek chart and earning Presto Music's Recording of the Week alongside acclaim from All About Jazz, The Jazz Word, and Jazz thing for its melodic clarity and its elegant balance of lyricism and precision. The album received its world premiere in an expanded chamber setting at the Wiener Konzerthaus in May 2025. Recent highlights include a performance at La Fenice in Venice, broadcast on Italy's RAI Radio 3, and an appearance at Ronnie Scott's in London. Celebrated with his trio for its expressive interplay and refined compositional voice, Grissett reaffirms his standing as one of the leading pianists of his generation, bridging soulful warmth with sophisticated modern design.