“Murray Grant was a new artist to me, but one that by the end of the project I was glad to have engaged with, as I would thoroughly enjoy the tonal selections contained within his album entitled first... listen, a curious title maybe, but one packed with colours, textures and delightful contemporary instrumental vibrations. first... listen by Murray Grant maybe an album that got complicated by the global pandemic, but the final result was well worth the wait; this is one of the most prime examples of exemplary contemporary instrumental work that I have had the pleasure to listen to in years, and as such, I see no reason why first... listen by Murray Grant shouldn’t charge up the charts at the very least and maybe even more could be on the horizon for this superb album.” - Steve Sheppard - One World Music Radio
— https://stevesheppardmusicreviews.blogspot.com/2025/02/first-listen-by-murray-grant.html
“Murray Grant, a Canadian Contemporary Instrumental/New Age-World artist, has self-produced an album titled first… listen. This album is a collection of his own instrumental compositions that uniquely combine acoustic ethnic instruments from around the world with contemporary Western instruments. The title first… listen suggests that this album is meant to be experienced with fresh ears, inviting the listener to embark on a new musical journey. Murray Grant's first… listen is a musical and spiritual message to the world. The new age and world elements that make up this music with old and new instruments and today’s technology form a masterful recording that is unforgettable for this listener. It held meaning and brought so much joy as I listened. Highly recommended for those that enjoy world and new age music combined.” - Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Reviews Founder
— https://www.newagemusicreviews.net/2025/01/murraygrant.html
““first…. listen” is an invitation from the artist to listen with refreshed ears and an open mind. Set aside your expectations and be engulfed by a new musical sensation. The album is a collection of Grant’s own instrumental compositions. He expertly combines contemporary Western instrumentation with ethnic instruments from across the globe to create a unique warming masterpiece . All the eleven tracks are beautiful, blending Asian, Indian, Chinese and Western cultural sounds to create a unique set of tracks which fit perfectly together. The album throughout is produced to the highest standard, as has come to be expected from Grant’s releases. The clarity and separation within the instrumentation is a credit to his skill as a producer. I highly recommend this album to you. In an age of disposable, “skip between the tracks” culture, “first…. listen” is a breath of fresh air. Sit down in your favourite chair, switch off the phone and listen to this album from start to finish. 10/10.” - Fonz Tramontano
— Clouzine - Contemporary Music Magazine January 2025
“Why an erhu? That is the first question I had when I listened to Murray Grant’s latest album first… listen. The humble, two string instrument seems to be right at home within these eleven ambient tracks and makes up the main themes for most of them. Exotic as the ancient Chinese erhu is, it controls the flow and speed of the music and blends in harmoniously whenever it is used in these contemporary/jazz compositions. In music that is fraught with eastern influences, composer Murray Grant adds precise percussion, erhu (Amanda Toh), flute, guitar, an occasional string section, keyboards, and bass that crystalizes on these eleven gems of ambient pleasure. As in most of the tracks Grant has bridged east and west with a theme that blends old world and new. The album title does not say first listen. It suggests we first… listen. We require a silence to prepare for what we might hear. We approach the music with an open mind, an open spirit, and immerse ourselves in this mesmerizing music bath of sound. On first… listen Mr. Grant and company has filled the not silences superbly and they have created just the right not atmosphere to foster our mindful journey. This is my first encounter with his music and I hope to hear more. Murray Grant is a Canadian composer with several albums under his belt. I’ll be looking for those albums. Highly listenable.” - RJ Lannan
“October 2006 Manager’s Pick - “Wow! Murray's second album, 3000 Days, is incredible. I am an eclectic so when something comes along like Murray's music that's unique, intriguing, very well composed and beautiful I am captivated and will listen to this CD over and over. I definitely recommend this album to everyone. Go take a listen for yourself at Murray's website and pick up a copy for yourself today. It's outstanding!” - Jon Nipp
— Spirit WIthin Music, Lubbock TX
“May 2007 Murray Grant’s film music and progressive rock background shines through nicely on his second release of Eastern sound and thought embraced with Western arrangements and instrumentation. “3000 Days” is the follow-up to “House Of Mirrors”, his successful collection of New Age instrumentals, each exquisitely arranged, recorded, and mixed in the studios of Rooftop Records (Vancouver, British Columbia) Masterfully performed live yanqin (hammered Chinese dulcimer) and erhu amid shakuhachi, dumbek and electric guitar add an unmistakably Chinese mood to the opening track, “The Big Dream.” The song is nestled atop Grant’s great Western synth/beats programming and sparkling drum kit, the latter his main instrument. The mystical yanqin of Vivian Xia shines throughout the CD, perhaps most notably in “Waiting,” where it effortlessly dances between the beautiful, breathy vocals of Debbie Ekman, which weave in unison with Ji Rong Huang’s haunting Chinese erhu. Other voicings featured on the disc include sitar, tabla, dumbek, and West African and Native American vocals. Somewhat reminiscent of early Shadowfax, “3000 Days” is a sophisticated, very accessible mix of East-meets-West music suitable for bodywork, yoga, slow movement and dancing, or a long drive through the Canadian Rockies.” - Randy Alberts
— New Age Retailer, Bellingham, WA
“April 2007 In "3000 Days" we have a refreshing collection of compositions we could label within the genre of Romantic Instrumental Music, including elements that range from Atmospheric Pop to New Age to World Music, as well as some subtle elements of Jazz. The arrangements, and in general the staging of every track, boost the emotional nature of this work, although without causing an excess of sentimentalism. In short, a nice work for listeners who love melodic instrumental music.” - Sarah Tomblin
— Amazing Sounds, Barcelona, Spain
“Murray Grant's music is the perfect balance. His songs are strong and determined with a gentle ribbon of grace running through all of them. I love the music he is creating. Is it Eastern music with a Western influence or Western music with an Eastern influence? (It doesn't matter because) It is the perfect balance!” - Mary Bartlein
— WMSE Milwaukee, Wisconsin
“This is a stellar first recording by composer/drummer Murray Grant of Vancouver, B.C. In these days of inexpensive sound samples, Grant chose to record the album using an ensemble of 13 live musicians, some playing Chinese instruments. The album begins with 'Drive'; its heavy drum/rhythm bass line determines the strength of the piece, but this is tempered by solos and pizzicato by two violins. A pinging sound gives the impression of overhead wires. 'Things Are Going To Get Better' also flows along on a rhythm groove, but it is more leisurely. Here, the Indian bamboo flute, played by Cameron Hood, gives the piece its Eastern temperance. One of the most distinctive sounds on the album is the 'erhu' Chinese violin played by Ji Rong Huang; the instrument adds a sentimental, bittersweet feeling to 'Somebody's Child.' Some of the most moving pieces on the album are 'We Are As One', a gentle yet broad lullaby, and '1World', with its tapestry of syncopated rhythms that race ahead of a spinning universe. Celso Machado sings a passionate Latin-African vocalise. Throughout, Grant has hit upon a world fusion mixture that really works. None of the exotic instruments are trivialised or taken for granted, and the pieces are balanced between memorable melodies and intriguing unfolding of rhythm patterns. You'll discover new layers with each listening.” - Carol Wright
— All Music Guide, USA
“Murray Grant has put together a very interesting and beautiful piece of work. It is basically an instrumental mixture of New Age/Relaxation/World with an interesting twist: it was written and performed principally by a drummer. This gives the music a great percussive base which is often missing in this type of music. Grant has also brought in a large number of guest performers playing such diverse instruments as the erhu, berimbau, fon tom from, cello, violin, dumbek and Chinese dulcimer. Co-producers Grant and Andrew Duncan show how different sonic textures can be woven together to make a tapestry of music with a truly world-wide appeal.” - Bob D'eith
— The Voice Magazine, Vancouver