Biography

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 at Houghton University (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 and co-leading the Global Musicianship Project with Hannah LeGrand and Dr. Mark Hijleh.

As an artist, Marc challenges the listener’s relationship with consonance and dissonance. In doing so, he aims 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.
 

This live recording of “Gallo Pinto” is a winning submission in the 2023 Global Music Awards International Competition (categories: Instrumentalist, Emerging Artist).

Testimonials

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.
— Dr. Anton Machleder, Professor of Guitar at the Greatbatch School of Music, Houghton University
Marc plays brilliantly with a gifted sense of advanced reharmonization—you can hear it immediately with his warm, modern sound.
— Chuck MacKinnon, Trumpet player for Norah Jones & John Mayer
He kicks ass on those strings!
— Chepito Areas, Co-founder of Santana, and 1998 Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Inductee

Marc is a Collings Guitars, Quilter Labs, Reunion Blues, and Radial Engineering endorsed artist.

Resume

Artists and bands with whom Marc has had the opportunity to perform, record, and/or study.

ARTISTS

  • Ndugu Chancler - Former drummer for Michael Jackson, Santana, and Herbie Hancock

  • John Santos - 7x GRAMMY Nominee

  • Tarik Shah - Former bassist for Betty Carter, Ahmad Jamal, and Abbey Lincoln

  • 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

BANDS

  • Marc LeGrand Trio

  • Julio Bravo y Su Orquesta Salsabor

  • John Calloway's Latin Jazz Band

  • Anton Mechleder's Guitar Quartet

  • Chuck MacKinnon's Jazz Combos

  • Bedroom Shoes

  • Houghton Symphony Orchestra

  • Adelante Salsa Big Band

  • food court people

  • Christian Pepin y su Orquesta Bembé

  • Adrian Areas Latin Jazz Ensemble

  • Patricia Thúmas' Key Elements Fusion Group

  • Natalie Cressman's, Bennett Pastor’s, and Taylor Eigsti’s Stanford Jazz Combos

  • Sorrow Estate

  • Girl Love Band

Nubia la Nica by Marc LeGrand

This piece is dedicated to the artist’s late grandmother.

Contact

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