48 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 

Larry 
Grenadier

JUAN HITTERS/ECM RECORDS

ARTS&LIFE
MUSIC

L

arry Grenadier travels 
the world playing bass 
with many jazz groups 
and, over Labor Day weekend, 
he returns to Michigan for 
the free Detroit Jazz Festival. 
He joins with pianist Ethan 
Iverson and drummer Nasheet 
Waits for the program.
The trio performs 2-3:15 
p.m. Monday, Sept. 5, at the 
Carhartt Amphitheater Stage 
in Hart Plaza on the closing 
day of the event that begins 
Friday, Sept. 2. 
“We did this recording, 
Every Note Is True, that came 
out this year, and I assume 
we’ll play music from that,” 
Grenadier said. “It’s all songs 
Ethan wrote, and it came out 
on Blue Note Records. I met 
Ethan in 1991, when he was a 

student who just moved into 
New York, and I’ve known 
him since then. We’ve played 
together more than 25 years, 
but not regularly.
“The last time I was in 
Detroit was four or five 
years ago with a band called 
Hudson. I’m amazed that it’s 
a free festival because that 
in itself is extremely unique. 
Because it’s free, there’s a dif-
ferent energy to the crowd. 
The musicians are in touch 
that it’s not for the select few 
who can afford a certain ticket 
price.”
Grenadier, who is spending 
80 percent of his time per-
forming in Europe, started 
out playing a trumpet given to 
him by his dad, also a trumpet 
player who gave instruments 

to his children. Later on, his 
dad gave him an electric bass 
to play with a brother on gui-
tar. 
“When I was listening to 
jazz music, I was hearing 
the acoustic bass,” Grenadier 
recalled. “I borrowed one from 
school and connected with it. 
I just naturally liked it. I liked 
the instrument and the com-
munal part of playing music 
with other people, the social 
aspect of music. I just really 
enjoyed it and never looked 
back.”
Grenadier, born and raised 
in San Francisco, never doubt-
ed that he would be a full-time 
musician although he earned 
a degree in English from 
Stanford University. With both 
parents Jewish, he identifies 

socially with the religion and 
has played about a half dozen 
times in Israel.
After graduating from col-
lege, Grenadier moved to New 
York looking for more oppor-
tunities to play with musicians 
heard on records. Ultimately, 
his collaborations have been 
with many high-profile artists, 
early on including saxophonist 
Stan Getz and later guitarist 
Pat Metheney.
“Every performance is 
teaching me,” Grenadier said. 
“Every time I play, I get more 
ideas of what I have to work 
on when I go home. When I’m 
practicing, I’m getting ready 
for a performance with partic-
ular musicians.
“I don’t think about the 
instruments being played; 

Bass player Larry Grenadier to perform at Detroit Jazz Festival.

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SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER