2-Piano Jazz Duo concert with Scott Martin and Tom Porter, featuring guest vocalist Karen Grant

2-Piano Jazz Duo concert with Scott Martin and Tom Porter featuring guest vocalist Karen Grant

Bowdoin College-based jazz pianists Scott Martin and Tom Porter will present an evening of 2- piano jazz duets featuring classic

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

https://www.scottmartinmusic.com/  

Bios

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

Tom Porter started learning the piano aged 7, after hearing some jazz music on the radio and begging his parents to get him some lessons! He has been performing since the age of fourteen, both in the US and in his native Britain, where he picked up a couple of national awards (including the BBC’s best young soloist prize).
While based in the UK, Tom worked regularly with some of the top names in UK jazz, including saxophonist Tim Garland (formerly of Chick Corea’s group ‘Origin’) and Manchester guitar god Mike Walker (seriously check him out).

Tom has also been a broadcast journalist, working for Bloomberg television and radio in London, before emigrating to the US in 2003. He moved to Maine in 2008 to work for Maine Public Radio - you may remember him as a regular voice on the daily news show Maine Things Considered (‘the guy with the accent’).
Since 2015 he has been working in communications at Bowdoin and making regular use of the music department’s grand pianos to practice on!

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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.