trombonist.composer.educator
BIOGRAPHY
Hailed by Slide Hampton as “an important future voice in jazz trombone” and “modern, forward thinking, and powerfully melodic” by JazzEd, Nick Grinder is a versatile trombonist and low brass musician in New York City.
Nick hails from San Francisco, CA, and has enjoyed a varied career since moving to New York City in 2011. He has shared the stage or recording studio with artists such as Lorde, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennet, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patti Labelle, DMX, St Vincent, Paquito D’Rivera, Darcy James Argue, Arturo O'Farrill, and many others. He has performed in over two dozen Broadway pits, both as a substitute and chair holder, and performed in the 2019, 2021, and 2022 Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra.
In television and film, he has recorded the soundtracks to The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, John Mulaney's Sack Lunch Bunch, Fosse/Verdon, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The CBS Evening News Theme, PGA Fedex Cup, ESPN's 30 for 30, Enemy, and In The Heights.
In the jazz world, he has performed in the Grammy award winning big bands of Arturo O'Farrill, Alan Ferber, Darcy James Argue, John Daversa, and the Mambo Legends, and has recorded as a sideman on over 20 jazz albums. He has released two albums of original compositions, Farallon and Ten Minutes, which have been described as "joyful yet intricate" by Jazziz, "highly imaginative and genuinely sincere" by Just Jazz, and having an "unassuming potent beauty" by All About Jazz. He has performed internationally with various jazz groups in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The child of two artists - a ballet dancer and visual effects engineer at ILM, and he was encouraged at an early age to pursue his artistic interests as often as possible. He began gigging on both trombone and acoustic bass when he was 15, and knew shortly after his fifth brunch gig that music was what he wanted to do with his life.
From 2007-2011, Nick studied at Cal State Northridge in Los Angeles with jazz virtuoso Bob McChesney and studio stalwart Andy Malloy, and in 2011 he made the move to New York City, where he was offered full scholarship to NYU. At NYU he was an adjunct faculty member during his pursuit of a master’s degree, teaching both private trombone lessons and jazz ensemble classes.
Nick has released two albums of original compositions for small group - Ten Minutes, in 2014, and Farallon, released in 2019 on Outside In music. His albums have garnered positive reviews by JazzTimes, JazzEd, All About Jazz, and many other international periodicals and blogs. He has given clinics and masterclasses in composition and performance at both colleges and high schools throughout the United States.
For all contact, booking, lesson, or recording inquiries, please use the Contact section. Nick is available in the New York City area or worldwide for remote recording and teaching.