Grant Gordy, the Denver-based guitar player whose lifelong study of music, from Bill Evans to The Beatles and beyond, has informed his own writing and arranging, will release his self-titled debut album on May 11.

“[He] belongs to the new elite family of American acoustic practitioners who are pushing the ever-expanding envelope of a musical frontier … Bluegrass, newgrass, jazz, classical and even ‘dawg’ are all audible influences in Grant’s musical vision,” says David “Dawg” Grisman, whose David Grisman Quintet Gordy subbed in and would ultimately join as guitarist. “[His] guitar stylings offer a rare blend of flat-picking virtuosity, jazz exploration and classical sensibility …”

“Pterodactyl,” “Grapes” and “Lila” are just three of the compositions on the new CD, which also includes Gordy’s “Blues to Dawg” that he invited Grisman to contribute his signature mandolin playing to. Each song in the collection exemplifies Gordy’s spirit of adventure and sense of self.

Gordy describes himself: “At heart, I'm really an improviser; that's what very first drew me to playing music — the idea that you can make things up as you go along — but I'm also very interested in composition. I like the idea of a group of musicians having as much room and freedom to explore and improvise as they want, but within a context of a compelling arrangement that can be exciting for, and draws in, the listener.”

Gordy’s touring behind the release include: