Guitarist-Composer / Theorist / Producer
Composed and performed by Marc LeGrand, this live recording of “Gallo Pinto” is a winning submission in the 2023 Global Music Awards International Competition (categories: Instrumentalist, Emerging Artist). Animated sheet music generated with SoundSlice.
Nicaraguan-American Marc Anthony LeGrand is a New York City-based guitarist, composer, theorist, and producer whose work and collaborations blur the lines of composed and improvised music. Early on, Marc was drawn to the abstract expression of instrumental music through his relationships with Patricia Thúmas, Dr. John Calloway, and Jose Chepito Areas. These three mentors guided Marc through his early explorations in the Bebop and Afro-Cuban traditions.
As a teenager, Marc delved into modern jazz harmony and classical technique—inspired by his summers at the Stanford Jazz Institute as well as his participation in the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco. By the time he graduated high school, Marc had drawn more attention within the San Francisco Latin Jazz music community for his prodigious guitar and compositional abilities—sitting in and performing regularly with some of the most admired Jazz and Latin jazz collaborators in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In the years leading up to his relocation to New York City, Marc gave performances at the San Mateo Jazz Festival, San Francisco Carnaval Salsa Festival, Stanford Jazz Festival, Redwood City Summer Concert Series, Delta Jazz Festival, Santa Rosa Salsa & Latin Jazz Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival, Yoshi's SF, San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival, and Stanford Park's Artist Residency Series for which he collectively received awards and recognition for his work as a guitarist, composer, and improviser.
Marc now holds a B.M. in Guitar Performance (focuses in Composition and Improvisation) from the Greatbatch School of Music (where he received a performance scholarship to attend). In 2023, Marc became a finalist in the Global Music Awards—an international competition in which he was awarded two medals (in the categories of Instrumentalist and Emerging Artist) for his live performance of his original composition, titled “Gallo Pinto”. Today, he is involved in a variety of performance, composition, and production-based collaborations. Between projects, Marc can be found conducting private lessons from his apartment in the Lower East Side.
As an artist, Marc challenges the listener’s relationship with consonance and dissonance. In doing so, it is his aim to uncover an ever-widening aural palette, to journey with the listener between the visceral and ethereal, and to foster a globally conscious harmonic experience.
“He kicks ass on those strings!”
“Marc plays brilliantly with a gifted sense of advanced reharmonization—you can hear it immediately with his warm, modern sound.”
“In the last few years, Marc has demonstrated a high level of maturity in musicianship and scholarship. He is always well-prepared—consistently demonstrating his dedication, graciousness, respect, and gratitude for his craft and peers. It is without reservation that I give him my highest recommendation.”
Below is a list of artists/bands with whom Marc has had the opportunity to perform, record, and/or study.
Ndugu Chancler - Former drummer for Michael Jackson, Santana, and Herbie Hancock
John Santos - 7x GRAMMY Nominee
Dayna Stephens - GRAMMY nominated, critically acclaimed
Jose "Chepito" Areas - Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, percussionist and cofounder of Santana
Jerry Gonzalez - Multiple GRAMMY Nominations, Fort Apache
John Calloway - 3x GRAMMY Nominee
Robben Ford - Former guitarist for Miles Davis & George Harrison, Blues guitar legend
Julian Lage - Multiple GRAMMY Nominations
Julio Bravo - San Francisco Salsa Legend
Taylor Eigsti - GRAMMY winner, former protégé of Dave Brubeck
Kriston Strohm - critically acclaimed Tenor saxophonist, San Francisco Bay Area Native
Christian Pepin - GRAMMY winner and 2016 GRAMMY Nominee
Mike Galisatus - Critically acclaimed bandleader, former trumpeter for The Temptations
Chuck MacKinnon - Critically acclaimed, former trumpeter for John Mayer & Norah Jones
David Pabón - Internationally recognized, Puerto Rico-based Salsa vocalist
Anton Mechleder - Internationally recognized classical guitarist
Pascal B. Thiam - former guitarist for Dizzy Gillespie
Joe Lovano - GRAMMY winner, Multiple GRAMMY nominations
Tupac Mantilla - Internationally recognized percussion virtuoso
Ken Crane - former trombonist for Frank Sinatra, Clark Terry, and Buddy Rich
Charles McPherson - critically acclaimed Alto saxophone legend, worked w/ Charles Mingus
Patrick Wolff - critically acclaimed Tenor saxophonist, San Francisco Bay Area Native
Joe Gilman - Great American Jazz Piano Competition Winner
Marc LeGrand Group
Julio Bravo y Su Orquesta Salsabor
John Calloway's Latin Jazz Band
CSM Jazz Big Band
Intima (Vioin-Guitar collaboration project)
Anton Mechleder's Guitar Quartet
Chuck MacKinnon's Jazz Combos
Bedroom Shoes
Benette Pastor's Stanford Jazz Combo
Houghton Symphony Orchestra
Adelante Salsa Big Band
Food Court
Christian Pepin y su Orquesta Bembé
Adrian Areas Latin Jazz Ensemble
Patricia Thúmas' Key Elements Fusion Group
Natalie Cressman's Stanford Jazz Combo
Laura Johnson's Sorrow Estate Band (Independent Folk Group)
Girl Love Band
Marc is endorsed by Reunion Blues and Quilter Labs.
