THE MAN WHO BROUGHT BOSSA NOVA TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
For nearly fifty years, local radio broadcaster Felix Grant was a familiar voice to Washington, D.C. jazz lovers. He began his career in 1945 on radio station WWDC-AM and in 1953 he moved to WMAL-AM, where he spent thirty years as host and producer of The Album Sound. The program featured the full spectrum of jazz and blues with an international flavor and had one of the widest listening audiences in the Washington, D.C. area. Grant was a great supporter of new talent. His shows always educated and entertained and were frequently augmented by interviews of visiting jazz musicians and personalities. The Album Sound went off the air in 1984, and Grant moved to WRC-AM. He joined WDCU-FM Jazz 90 in 1987 with his World of Jazz show and introduced jazz, blues, and international music to yet another generation of listeners.
Grant’s early interest in and fascination with Brazilian culture and music played a pivotal role in introducing bossa nova to the United States. He was often dubbed an ambassador of music in recognition of his promotion of Brazilian and Jamaican culture in the United States. He was playing the music and introducing these new sounds to American audiences long before they became household words. His honors included Brazil’s highest award to a foreigner, the Order of the Southern Cross; recognition from the Washington, D.C. government, including plaques, proclamations, and the designation of Felix Grant Day in 1985; and a music-radio library named after him at the University of Jamaica. His trademark broadcast professionalism and his love for the music and musicians who created it earned him respect and recognition both at home and abroad.
