El Portal Theatre Presents: JAZZ GREAT, GRANT GEISSMAN: BLOOZ AND MORE This Month

El Portal Theatre presents GRANT GEISSMAN: BLOOZ and more! New album release concert, with special guest saxophone legend Tom Scott, on Saturday, September 24 at 8pm onstage at the historic El Portal Theatre Debbie Reynolds Mainstage, 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in the NOHO Arts District, North Hollywood, CA.

Get ready for a concert of blues music to soothe your soul with jazz great GRANT GEISSMAN and Special Guest Tom Scott! Grant Geissman and his amazing band come together for a one-night-only CD Release concert. This one-night-only performance is not to be missed! Tickets range from $29 - $39 and can be purchased online at www.elportaltheatre.com or on the phone at 818-508-4200.

Join legendary, Emmy-nominated jazz guitarist Grant Geissman (who has played with such greats as Chuck Mangione, Steve Tyrell, Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, and Ringo Starr) in a world premiere CD release live concert with special guest, Grammy Award-winning sax player Tom Scott (solo artist, Steely Dan, George Harrison, LA Express, Blues Brothers)!

Grant and his amazing band (Brian Scanlon, woodwinds; Jim Cox, piano and B3 organ; Lyman Medeiros, bass; Ray Brinker, drums) make their first appearance at El Portal. (You may have seen Grant backing Steve Tyrell on the El Portal stage in March.)

Veteran guitarist and composer Grant Geissman releases his 16th album, BLOOZ, via his Futurism label in a joint venture with Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings. Leading the way, he takes the listener on a stylistic adventure, exploring the genre in many forms. "The album is called BLOOZ because it's my take on the blues. It's a fairly wide interpretation, and not always traditional," said Geissman. "It's the album I always wanted to make."

Apart from his own albums, Grant co-wrote the music for all 12 seasons of "Two and a Half Men," earning an Emmy nomination for the catchy theme song, as well as all 6 seasons of "Mike and Molly", and the first season of "B Positive".

Geissman has explored bluesy territory since his early days recording and touring with flugelhorn great Chuck Mangione-an era highlighted by his now-iconic electric guitar solo on "Feels So Good," Mangione's 1978 mega-hit. The San Jose native was in his senior year at Cal State-Northridge majoring in classical guitar when a mutual friend recommended him for a gig with Mangione. The rest is a long, colorful history of touring and recording that culminated in Geissman's critically acclaimed recording Cool Man Cool (2009), which featured Mangione performing with jazz legend Chick Corea on the Geissman composition "Chuck and Chick."

Over the years, Geissman lent his virtuosity to recordings by mainstream artists such as Quincy Jones, Steve Tyrell, Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello, Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson, Robbie Williams, and Michael Feinstein; jazz talents like Lorraine Feather, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, and David Benoit; and even personal heroes Ringo Starr and Klaus Voormann. Grant grew up as a huge Beatles fan and contributing to Starr's Ringorama album fulfilled a lifelong dream. Grant also played on a recording/documentary about the life of Voormann, the famed bassist, artist, and longtime member of the Beatles' inner circle.

BLOOZ is the fourth album on Geissman's own label, Futurism, following the trilogy of Say That!, Cool Man Cool, and BOP! BANG! BOOM! There is an audible exultation and joy to be found in the music, as it was recorded just after the COVID-19 shutdown ended. The musicians play with the abandon of prisoners whose sentences have been commuted. "We recorded together in the studio, and it was so amazing to finally play with people again," Geissman said. "And I love this album," he exudes. "It's one that I always wanted to make."

BLOOZ is a collaboration between Geissman's Futurism label and Mesa/Bluemoon, marking his return to a label that released four of his albums in the early 1990s."I am very excited about working with Grant again on this excellently crafted album," said Mesa/Bluemoon honcho George Nauful. "In 33 years of running the label, I can honestly say that his releases are among my very favorites. I love every track on this new album! All the compositions and the musicianship are off the charts. I know it will be a huge critical success."

"My decision to start the Futurism label, and writing and recording in a more traditional jazz vein, came after several years of soul searching to figure out what I wanted to do and what kind of music would mean something to me," Geissman said. "One of the reasons I created the label was so that I could explore anything I wanted-which to me is what an artist is supposed to do. On BLOOZ, with the help of great friends and incredible musicians, I had some of the most fun and made some of the best music of my career. And what could be wrong with that?"

This one-night-only performance is not to be missed! Tickets $29 - $39.

For tickets and information please call 818-508-4200 or online at www.elportaltheatre.com.

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