Danny Green, a pianist and composer, has earned a reputation within the jazz community for being an emerging artist whose music is both fresh and seasoned. Green’s music is a unique blend of classical, Latin, jazz and Brazilian elements. His music captures the attention of listeners with its evocative melodies as well as infectious rhythms. JazzReview.com says that Danny Green “is what evolution in jazz all about…expressing the traits and styles of those who came before him, but with a style that is all his own…an individual that expresses what he is inside.” Green, a Southern California native, began studying classical piano when he was five years old. He was captivated by music from an early age. His parents had to take him away at his first recital. He continued to play with his left hand as they pulled him away from the piano. Green quit music lessons at the age of 12 because he was disillusioned with reading music. He learned to play by ear, and spent the next two decades only playing Nirvana. He fell in love with Afro Cuban music towards the end of highschool, which led him to discover Brazilian music and then jazz. Green continued his formal training at UC San Diego where he studied classical piano with John Mark Harris, Luciane Cardassi and jazz piano with Kamau Kenyatta, a Grammy-winning producer. He was the recipient of the Jimmy Cheatham jazz award and performed the first jazz honors recital. Green went on to pursue a Master’s in Jazz Studies at San Diego State University. He studied jazz piano under Rick Helzer. Green received several scholarships and was named “Outstanding Grad.” He was also honored with the “Alumni of the Year” award from SDSU’s School of Music and Dance in 2013. All About Jazz hailed Green as one of the “most important up-and coming jazz pianists” in San Diego. Green is a leader of the Danny Green Trio and has performed at many notable venues and series as well as festivals, including KSDS Jazz 88.3’s Jazz Live and CSU Summer Arts Monterey. Anthology, The Loft @ UCSD and the Oceanside Museum of Art. Steamer’s Jazz Club, San Diego Museum of Art’s Summer Residency project, Integrity Jazz festival in North Dakota and the TEDxUCSD. Green’s 2009 debut album, With You in Mind, showcased his unique talents. The album was airplayed extensively around the world, reached #18 on Jazz Week Charts and was awarded “Best Jazz Album” at San Diego Music Awards 2009. Green teamed up again with Tapestry Records in 2012 to release A Thousand Ways Home. The album features Justin Grinnell on bass and Julien Cantelm drums. Tripp Sprague on sax and Dusty Brough on guitar. Eva Scow is a mandolinist and Claudia Villela sings Brazilian. A Thousand Ways Home was praised by many people across the country, reached #17 on Jazz Week Charts, and was nominated for the “Best Jazz Album” award at the 2013 San Diego Music Awards. The new album After The Calm is being produced by the Danny Green Trio (Green, Grinnell and Cantelm). The album features ten of Green’s most recent compositions and is due to be released on OA2 Records in November 2014. Green is also a passionate advocate for music education. Green teaches private lessons and is a faculty member of the Jazz 88.3 summer jazz workshop. He also directs the Jazz combo at Coronado School of the Arts and hosts a jazz appreciation workshop in elementary schools as part of the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library outreach program. Green also teaches piano at Grossmont Community College and San Diego City College. He has also been an artist-in-residence at Canyon Crest Academy, CSU Summer Arts Monterey. from http://dannygreen.net
