Jerry Granelli was one of the most accomplished and highly regarded musicians in Nova Scotia. He was a supportive community leader and mentor for musicians and artists of all ages and backgrounds. Jerry was instrumental in the establishment of the Halifax Jazz Festival, which over the past 30 years has evolved to become a Signature Event in Halifax and the largest music festival in the Maritimes. Jerry was also a founder and longstanding creative director of the Creative Music Workshop, an intensive summer program that has been a flagship education program of the Halifax Jazz Festival for the past 25 years.
With a career that spanned 60 years, Jerry performed with the likes of Charlie Haden, Mose Allison, Sonny Stitt, Sly Stone, Ornette Coleman and Vince Guaraldi, and recorded over 30 albums as a leader; he contributed to countless recordings, including the quadruple platinum A Charlie Brown Christmas, and was a pioneer in the 60s free music scene. His prolific and genre-crossing music has been recognized by institutions such as the Junos, The Grammy Awards, the National Library of Congress Sound Archives, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
His unique teaching approach is embodied in the Creative Music Workshop, which was established in 1996 with fellow Halifax musicians saxophonist Don Palmer and bassist Skip Beckwith.
The Creative Music Workshop has been run in collaboration with the Halifax Jazz Festival since its inception. Today it is an 8-day intensive program grounding participants of all ages, skill levels, and artistic disciplines in the fundamentals and practice of improvisation in music and life. The CMW lives on under the direction of his son J. Anthony Grenelli (NYC), and a core group of Jerry’s most seasoned alumni now carry on year-round activity in Nova Scotia under the banner of the 1313 Music Association.
Jerry’s work and dedication have fostered a vibrant music and improvising arts community in Halifax. After his death, the Jerry Granelli Legacy Fund was created to continue to cultivate this work in his absence. The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarships to the Creative Music Workshop, support for special projects in improvising music/arts and administrative support to further the growth and sustainability of the program. Click the button to donate to the Jerry Granelli Legacy Fund!