Grover Washington Jr.
One of the most popular saxophonists of all time, Grover Washington, Jr. was long the pacesetter in his field. His roots were in R&B and soul-jazz organ combos, but he also fared very well on the infrequent occasions when he played straight-ahead jazz. A highly influential player, Washington pushed himself with the spontaneity and risk-taking of a masterful jazz musician.
Grover Washington, Jr.'s, father also played saxophone and was his first influence. The younger son started playing music when he was ten, and within two years was working in clubs. He picked up experience touring with the Four Clefs from 1959-1963 and freelancing during the next two years, before spending a couple years in the Army. He moved to Philadelphia in 1967, becoming closely identified with the city from then on, and worked with several organists, including Charles Earland and Johnny Hammond Smith, recording as a sideman for the Prestige label. His biggest break occurred in 1971, when Hank Crawford could not make it to a recording date for Creed Tasylor's Kudu label; Washington was picked as his replacement, and the result was Inner City Blues, a big seller. From then on he became a major name, particularly after recording 1975's Mister Magic and Feels So Good, and later 1980's Winelight; the latter included the Bill Withers hit "Just the Two of Us."
Although some of his recordings since then found him coasting a bit, Washington usually stretched himself in concert. He developed his own personal voices on soprano, tenor, alto, and even his infrequently-used baritone. Grover Washington Jr. recorded as a leader for Kudu, Motown, Elektra, and Columbia and made notable guest appearances on dozens of records ranging from pop to straightforward jazz. He died of a sudden heart attack on December 17, 1999 while taping an appearance on CBS television's The Saturday Early Show; Washington was 56. The posthumous Aria was issued early the following year.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
Similar artists
-
-
-
Plays The Hits (Great Songs/Great Performances)
Jazz - Released by Verve Reissues on 1 jan. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
-
THE DEFINITIVE GROVER WASHINGTON, JR. - THE ELEKTRA YEARS
Jazz fusion en jazz rock - Released by WM UK on 10 mei 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Inner City Blues
Jazz fusion en jazz rock - Released by Kudu Records on 3 jan. 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grover Live (Live)
Jazz - Released by LIGHTYEAR (LTY) on 19 mrt. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Breath Of Heaven - A Holiday Collection
Kerstmuziek - Released by Columbia on 11 aug. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Breath Of Heaven - A Holiday Collection
Kerstmuziek - Released by Columbia on 11 aug. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Moods: Cool
Jazz - Released by Columbia - Legacy on 1 jan. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Live At Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI. August 14th 1995, WOTB-FM Broadcast (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Brainstorm Recordings on 24 nov. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Breath of Heaven
Jazz - Released by Columbia - Legacy on 11 aug. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mister Magic (Live at the Count Basie Theatre)
Grover Washington Jr., Benny Barksdale, Jr.
Jazz - Released by Society Hill - EMG on 2 apr. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
We Can Make It (Live 1981)
Soul - Released by Bleeding Heart on 3 mrt. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Winelight (Edit)
Jazz - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 17 dec. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lost in Love
Soul - Released by Society Hill - EMG on 1 jan. 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo