Jazz Piano and Guitar Duo concert with Scott Martin and Jeff Rojo, featuring guest vocalist Karen Grant.

Jazz Piano and Guitar Duo concert with Scott Martin and Jeff  Rojo featuring  guest vocalist Karen Grant.

Bowdoin College-based Scott Marin, jazz piano and Jeff Rojo, classical and jazz guitar, will present and evening of duets featuring

classic jazz stardards, Latin and pop classics. They will be joined by jazz vocalist Karen Grant for several selections.

https://www.scottmartinmusic.com/

Scott Martin has performed professionally in a wide variety of musical styles and roles. As a studio musician in New York City with Carly Simon, he sang background vocals, arranged and played synthesizers on the hit, Coming Around Again, theme song to the movie Heartburn, starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. He worked with Mariah Carey on her first recording session and her first album, as well as with singers Philip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire and Robert Lamm of Chicago. He co-wrote and produced the title track to the album, Magnetic, by the jazz group Steps Ahead, featuring vocalist Dianne Reeves and saxophonist Michael Brecker. As a jazz pianist, he has played with Mike Stern, Bill Watrous, Miroslav Vitous, Billy Hart, Mike Mainieri, Joe Lovano, Victor Lewis, Javon Jackson, Harry Allen, Ron Miles, Carl Fontana, Pete Condoli, Red Holloway, Hiram Bullock, Tia Fuller, and many others. He has performed two national tours with the Broadway musical Jersey Boys. He currently runs the record label Liberian Handshake Records which donates a percentage of proceeds to African education outreach. His album, Scott Martin, Alone Sunset, recorded and co-produced by Jay Newland (Norah Jones, “Don’t Know Why”) is the label’s first release.  

He currently teaches jazz/pop piano at Bowdoin College, where he has also been lab instructor for Intro to Music Theory and Songwriting and a jazz combos director. He leads the weekly Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Abbey Cafe in Brunswick, Maine.

He has a BM in Jazz Performance, Piano, from the New England Conservatory and a MM in Music Composition from the University of Colorado, Boulder

Jeff Rojo is a guitarist whose musical voice bridges the traditions of Mexico, jazz, blues, and classical music with elegance and energy. A native of Mexico City, he began his musical journey immersed in mariachi, boleros, and son jarocho before evolving from rock and blues influences into the worlds of classical and jazz guitar.
A graduate of the Escuela Superior de Música, Rojo has developed a dynamic performance style shaped by artists ranging from Jimi Hendrix and Santana to Pat Metheny and João Gilberto.
Now based in Maine, he performs regularly throughout the region, including collaborations with musicians from Bowdoin College. In addition to maintaining an active concert schedule, he serves on the faculty of the University of Maine at Augusta, Bowdoin College and teaches at Bay Chamber Music School, where he shares his passion for guitar, musical expression, and cross-cultural traditions with the next generation of musicians.

Karen Michelle Grant — Musical Artist Bio

Karen Michelle Grant is a vocalist, performer, creative artist, and vocal trainer whose musical journey spans more than two decades across jazz, soul, gospel, neo-soul, world music, and inspirational performance. Known for her warm vocal tone, expressive storytelling, and spiritually grounded artistry, Karen has cultivated a sound that blends classic jazz influences with contemporary soul and uplifting testimonial music.

Karen’s love of jazz and performance began during her years attending High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas, a celebrated institution known for educating notable artists including Robert Glasper and Beyoncé. During both junior high and high school, she trained in music and performance while developing her vocal identity through competitive and live performance opportunities. Karen performed annually in the prestigious Sammy Davis Jr. Awards, consistently receiving high rankings among more than 1,000 talented young artists.

After moving to New York in 1996, Karen continued pursuing creative and artistic growth. However, it was after relocating to Philadelphia in the spring of 2002 that her musical journey truly expanded. Immersed in Philadelphia’s vibrant arts and music culture, she began performing extensively throughout the region while building a reputation for expressive live vocals, ensemble work, and spiritually rooted artistry.

From 2002–2004, Karen performed with Voice of Africa, where she explored a cappella vocals and African percussion traditions through live cultural performances and ensemble collaborations. During this same period, she also began performing as part of the duo Illuminess and Lady K, later renamed Lumieré Blu — a project blending jazz, neo-soul, spoken testimony, and uplifting original music centered around healing, inspiration, and personal storytelling.

Karen’s live performance background includes touring nationally with Third Dimension Ministries out of Nassau, Bahamas from 2009–2012, traveling throughout the United States performing in churches, conferences, and community events from Florida to Chicago. In 2006, she performed as part of the gospel choir supporting Mariah Carey during a live concert at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

Her artistic path has also included collaborations with The Stirring and Bethel Ministries in California, performances connected to Philadelphia’s music community including The Roots Picnic, and appearances in interdisciplinary arts productions such as the Century of the Mind Musical Exhibition hosted by School House Publishing and directed by Dr. Gross.

Currently based in Maine, Karen performs weekly at the Abby Jazz Brunch in Brunswick, where she continues sharing jazz standards, soul interpretations, and improvisational storytelling through live performance. Alongside her work as a vocalist, she also serves as a vocal trainer, creative consultant, and media professional, bringing together artistry, technology, and authentic expression throughout every aspect of her work.

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