Grant Geissman

Veteran guitarist and composer Grant Geissman joins the Ellington Study to talk about his writing for TV (including the theme to Two and a Half Men), then talks about the unique challenges of writing for guitar, including capo’ing and alternate tunings. This session included many musical examples as Grant and Scott improvised together and talked about the dynamics of playing jazz in an ensemble and adjusting to the other players.

About Scott Healy

Composer Scott Healy leads the The Ellington Study Group in Los Angeles, a hands-on study of scores and recordings of large ensemble jazz music as well as music theory and orchestration techniques. The material is advanced, and is geared toward professional classical and jazz composers, film composers, arrangers, and instrumentalists who want to increase their understanding and appreciation of large ensemble jazz writing. The discussion ranges from the minutia of voicing and harmony, to broader topics like form, pacing, transparent orchestration, compositional intent, and improvisation. Previous classes have included works by Duke Ellington from the 1930’s, Ellington/Strayhorn from the 1950’s, and works by jazz composers, arrangers, and band leaders Gil Evans and Miles Davis, Bennie Moten, Fletcher Henderson, Sammy Nestico, Thad Jones, and Sun Ra. Visit Scott’s website: bluedogmusic.com