Earl Grant - Beyond the Reef and Other Instrumental Favorites

Pianist and organist Earl Grant brings his polished, distinctive instrumental style to Beyond the Reef and Other Instrumental Favorites, a beautifully arranged collection blending jazz, easy listening and popular standards.

The album opens with the atmospheric title track “Beyond the Reef” and moves through an appealing program that includes “When Sunny Gets Blue,” “Tender Is the Night,” “The Very Thought of You,” “Yellow Bird,” “Angel Eyes,” “Mood Indigo,” “The Second Time Around,” “Make Someone Happy,” “Swingin' Gently,” “Londonderry Air” and “Climb Ev'ry Mountain.”

Grant is joined by Plas Johnson on tenor and alto saxophone, Bobby Gibbons on guitar, Morty Corb on bass and Jack Sperling on drums, giving the album a rich ensemble sound behind Grant's piano and organ. Released by Decca in the early 1960s, this stereo LP is a fine example of Grant's ability to move effortlessly between jazz phrasing, romantic ballads and sophisticated popular instrumentals.