[6] His first recordings were at the age of 24, in St. Louis with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest[6] for the United label, where Green played alongside drummer Elvin Jones.

He often provided support to others musicians on Blue Note, including saxophonists Hank Mobley, Ike Quebec, Stanley Turrentine, and organist Larry Young.

Grant carried off his more commercial dates with artistic success during this period: Idle Moments (1963), featuring Joe Henderson and Bobby Hutcherson[9] and Solid [10](1964), are described by jazz critics as two of Green's best recordings.

These include several albums with pianist Sonny Clark recorded in 1961–1962 included in The Complete Grant Green & Sonny Clark[11] released by Mosaic in 1997, and two albums from 1964 (Matador and Solid) that featured McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones from the John Coltrane Quartet.

[6] His recordings from that period include the commercially successful Green Is Beautiful and the soundtrack to the film The Final Comedown.

While in New York City to play an engagement at George Benson's Breezin' Lounge, he collapsed in his car of a heart attack and died on January 31, 1979.

He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in his hometown of St. Louis and was survived by six children, including his son Grant Green Jr., who is also a guitarist.

According to his protégé and fellow guitarist Benson, Grant achieved his tone by turning off the bass and treble settings of his amplifier as well as maximizing the midrange.