Grant Green (June 6, 1935 – January 31, 1979) was an American jazz guitarist and composer.

Recording prolifically for Blue Note Records as both leader and sideman, Green performed in the hard bop, soul jazz, bebop, and Latin-tinged idioms throughout his career. Critic Michael Erlewine wrote, “A severely underrated player during his lifetime, Grant Green is one of the great unsung heroes of jazz guitar … Green’s playing is immediately recognizable – perhaps more than any other guitarist.”Critic Dave Hunter described his sound as “lithe, loose, slightly bluesy and righteously groovy”.

He often performed in an organ trio, a small group featuring a Hammond organ and drummer. Apart from fellow guitarist Charlie Christian, Green’s primary influences were saxophonists, particularly Charlie Parker, and his approach was almost exclusively linear rather than chordal. He rarely played rhythm guitar except as a sideman on albums led by other musicians.

The simplicity and immediacy of Green’s playing, which tended to avoid chromaticism, derived from his early work playing rhythm and blues and, although he achieved a synthesis of this style with bop, he was a skilled blues and funk guitarist and returned to this style in his later career.

Grant Green was born on June 6, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri to John and Martha Green. His father was at various times a laborer and a Saint Louis policeman.

Green began studying guitar while he was in primary school. He received early instruction in guitar playing from his father, who played blues and folk music. He studied for a year with Forrest Alcorn, but he was mostly self-taught, learning from listening to records.

He first performed in a professional setting at the age of 13 as a member of a gospel music ensemble. Through his 20s, he was a member of jazz and R&B bands. His influences were Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Jimmy Raney. Green’s style mimicked that of a saxophonist, playing single note rather than chords.