Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr. (born December 12, 1943 in Buffalo , New York , † December 17, 1999 in New York City ) was an American saxophonist and flautist who co-founded and was one of the most important stylists of smooth jazz -Genres applies.
biography
Washington came from a musical family, had lessons from Elvin Shepherd and gained his first professional experience in the environment of the studio musicians who only became famous much later and formed the rhythm section of the Motown Records record label under the name The Funk Brothers . With a group called The Four Clefs he toured extensively on the so-called Chitlin 'Circuit through the Midwest of the USA and at times tried his hand at the big jazz scenes of the metropolises on the east coast, mainly Philadelphia and New York.
His first successful record recording came almost by accident in 1970 when Hank Crawford was unable to keep a session date for Prestige Records and Washington was hired as a substitute. The long-playing record Inner City Blues made on this occasion (the title track was a chart success in the original version by Marvin Gaye ) almost followed the recipe for success that Washington would essentially continue to pursue for the rest of his career: an audience-effective mixture of current pop music with influences from R&B , Funk and fusion jazz , enriched with Latin sounds, played by the best available studio jazz musicians.
In the USA Washington was able to launch hit parade successes again and again, which was extraordinary in the 1970s and 80s for a musician at least close to jazz (some of the most outstanding were Mister Magic and Just The Two Of Us , the latter title with soul singer Bill Withers ).
Just days after his 56th birthday, Grover Washington, Jr. suffered a serious heart attack while filming a TV show , which he died a short time later in hospital.
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK | US | R&B | |||
1971 | Inner City Blues Kudu 03 |
- |
US62 (25 weeks) US |
R&B8 (35 weeks) R&B |
|
1972 | All The King's Horses Kudu 07 |
- |
US111 (17 weeks) US |
R&B20 (11 weeks) R&B |
First release: August 1972
Instrumental album Producer: Creed Taylor |
1973 | Soul Box Kudu 1213 (2) |
- |
US100 (14 weeks) US |
R&B26 (18 weeks) R&B |
First release: March 1973
Instrumental album Producer: Creed Taylor |
1975 | Mister Magic Kudu 20th |
- |
US10 (34 weeks) US |
R&B1 (34 weeks) R&B |
First release: November 1974
Instrumental album Producer: Creed Taylor |
Feels So Good Kudu 24 |
- |
US10 (30 weeks) US |
R&B1 (30 weeks) R&B |
First release: November 1975
Instrumental album Producer: Creed Taylor |
|
1977 | A Secret Place Kudu 32 |
- |
US31 (16 weeks) US |
R&B7 (16 weeks) R&B |
First release: October 1976
Instrumental album Producer: Creed Taylor |
1978 | Reed Seed Motown 910 |
- |
US35 (23 weeks) US |
R&B7 (23 weeks) R&B |
Initial release: October 1978
Instrumental album Producer: Grover Washington, Jr. |
1979 | Paradise Elektra 182 |
- |
US24 (19 weeks) US |
R&B15 (21 weeks) R&B |
Initial release: April 1979
Instrumental album Producer: Grover Washington, Jr. |
1980 | Skylarkin ' Motown 933 |
- |
US24 (22 weeks) US |
R&B8 (25 weeks) R&B |
Initial release: February 1980
Instrumental album Producer: Grover Washington, Jr. |
Winelight Elektra 305 |
UK34
silver
(9 weeks)UK |
US5 × 2
(52 weeks)US |
R&B2 (49 weeks) R&B |
First release: November 1980
Instrumental album, AT:gold Grammy (Best Jazz Fusion Performance) Producers: Ralph MacDonald , Grover Washington, Jr. |
|
1981 | Come Morning Elektra 562 |
UK98 (1 week) UK |
US28 (27 weeks) US |
- |
First published: November 1981
Producers: Ralph MacDonald, Grover Washington, Jr. |
1982 | The Best Is Yet to Come Elektra 60215 |
- |
US50 (25 weeks) US |
R&B8 (33 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1982
Producers: Ralph MacDonald, Dexter Wansel, Nathan Sassover, Grover Washington, Jr. |
1984 | Inside Moves Elektra 60318 |
- |
US79 (23 weeks) US |
R&B21 (26 weeks) R&B |
First published: October 1984
Producers: Ralph MacDonald, Grover Washington, Jr. |
1986 | A House Full of Love: Music from the Bill Cosby Show Columbia 40270 |
- |
US125 (7 weeks) US |
- |
First published: February 1986
Stu Gardner presents A House Full of Love feat. Grover Washington, Jr Soundtrack to sitcom The Bill Cosby Show Producers: Stu Gardner, Grover Washington, Jr. |
1987 | Strawberry Moon Columbia 40510 |
- |
US66 (16 weeks) US |
R&B29 (20 weeks) R&B |
First published: August 1987
Producer: Grover Washington, Jr. |
1990 | Time Out of Mind Columbia 45253 |
- | - |
R&B60 (13 weeks) R&B |
Initial release: February 1990
Instrumental album Producer: Grover Washington, Jr. |
1992 | Next Exit Columbia 48530 |
- |
US149 (11 weeks) US |
R&B26 (21 weeks) R&B |
First published: May 1992
Executive Producer: George Butler |
1996 | Soulful Strut Columbia 57505 |
- |
US187 (2 weeks) US |
R&B45 (15 weeks) R&B |
First release: September 1996
Instrumental album Producer: Dan Shea |
More studio albums
- 1977: Señor Blues ( Urbie Green with Grover Washington, Jr. and David Matthews' Big Band; CTI 7079)
- 1983: Side Star (remix album; Kudu SS1)
- 1984: Togethering (with Kenny Burrell ; Blue Note 85106)
- 1988: Then and Now (Columbia 44256)
- 1994: All My Tomorrows (Columbia 64319)
- 1995: Dragonfly ( Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Special Guests Dave Grusin , Dave Samuels , John Scofield , Warren Vaché and Grover Washington, Jr .; Telarc Jazz 83377)
- 1996: Evolution (Thus Spoke Z feat.Groover Washington, Jr .; CTI MA 70 01 001)
- 1997: Breath of Heaven: A Holiday Collection (Columbia 68527)
- 1997: The Hollywood Sound ( John Williams , London Symphony Orchestra and Grover Washington, Jr .; Sony Classical 62788)
- 2000: Aria (Sony Classical 61864)
Live albums
year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK | US | R&B | |||
1978 | Live at the Bijou Kudu 3637 (2) |
- |
US11 (32 weeks) US |
R&B4 (24 weeks) R&B |
First published: December 1977
Recording: Bijou Cafe Philadelphia, May 1977 Instrumental album producer: Creed Taylor |
2010 | Grover Live G-Man |
- | - |
R&B95 (1 week) R&B |
First published: May 2010
|
Compilations
year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK | US | R&B | |||
1980 | Baddest Motown 940 (2) |
- |
US96 (10 weeks) US |
R&B40 (11 weeks) R&B |
First release: August 1980
instrumental album |
1981 | Anthology Motown 961 (2) |
- |
US149 (7 weeks) US |
R&B44 (8 weeks) R&B |
First release: October 1981
Instrumental album |
2000 | Prime Cuts: The Columbia Years 1987-1999 Columbia 69722 |
- | - |
R&B97 (1 week) R&B |
First published: December 1999
|
More compilations
- 1975: The Best Of (Kudu 0063.033)
- 1983: Greatest Performances (Motown 5307)
- 1985: At His Best (Motown 72366)
- 1985: Anthology of Grover Washington Jr. (Elektra 9 60415-2)
- 1996: The Best of Grover Washington Jr. (Motown 530 620-2)
- 1999: Ultimate Collection (Hip-O Records 012 153 888 2)
- 2000: The Best of Grover Washington Jr .: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection (Motown 012 157 617-2)
- 2001: Love Songs ( Rhino 76693)
- 2001: Discovery: The First Recordings ( Prestige 11020-2)
- 2002: The Essential Collection ( Spectrum Music 018 778-2)
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK | US | R&B | |||
1972 | Inner City Blues Inner City Blues |
- | - |
R&B42 (3 weeks) R&B |
|
No Tears, in the End All The King's Horses |
- | - |
R&B49 (3 weeks) R&B |
First published: August 1972
Instrumental; Bass: Gordon Edwards Authors: Ralph MacDonald , William Salter |
|
1975 | Mister Magic Mister Magic |
- |
US54 (10 weeks) US |
R&B16 (17 weeks) R&B |
First published: March 1975
Instrumental authors: Ralph MacDonald, William Salter |
1978 | Summer Song Live at the Bijou |
- | - |
R&B57 (6 weeks) R&B |
First published: April 1978
Author: John Blake |
Do Dat Reed Seed |
- | - |
R&B75 (7 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1978
Instrumental Authors: John Blake, Leonard "Doc" Gibbs, Jr. |
|
1979 | Tell Me About It Now Paradise |
- | - |
R&B57 (7 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1979
Instrumental Writer: Grover Washington, Jr. |
1980 | Snake eyes skylarkin ' |
- | - |
R&B88 (4 weeks) R&B |
|
Let It Flow (For Dr. J) Winelight |
- | - |
R&B62 (10 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1980
Instrumental; Fender Rhodes : Paul Griffin Author: Grover Washington, Jr. |
|
1981 | Just the Two of Us Winelight |
UK34 (7 weeks) UK |
US2 (24 weeks) US |
R&B3 (21 weeks) R&B |
First published: January 1981
Singing: Bill Withers Fender Rhodes : Richard Tee Oberheim - Synthesizer : Bill Eaton Grammy (R&B Song) Authors: Bill Withers, Ralph MacDonald, William Salter |
Be Mine (Tonight) Come Morning |
- |
US92 (4 weeks) US |
R&B13 (16 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1981
Singing: Grady Tate Authors: Ralph MacDonald, William Eaton, William Salter |
|
1982 | Jamming Come Morning |
- | - |
R&B65 (6 weeks) R&B |
First published: March 1982
Instrumental writer: Bob Marley Original: Bob Marley and the Wailers , 1977 |
The Best Is Yet to Come The Best Is Yet to Come |
- | - |
R&B14 (19 weeks) R&B |
||
1984 | Inside Moves Inside Moves |
- | - |
R&B79 (4 weeks) R&B |
First published: July 1984
Instrumental authors: Ralph MacDonald, Steve Gadd, William Salter |
1987 | Summer Nights Strawberry Moon |
- | - |
R&B35 (10 weeks) R&B |
|
1990 | Sacred Kind of Love Time Out of Mind |
- | - |
R&B21 (13 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1990
Singing: Phyllis Hyman Authors: Sami McKinney, Cole Porter , Karin Rybar |
The Groove (Jazzy's Groove) |
- | - |
R&B70 (7 weeks) R&B |
First release: February 1990
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince feat. Grover Washington, Jr. |
|
1992 | Love Like This Next Exit |
- | - |
R&B31 (12 weeks) R&B |
More singles
- 1972: Mercy Mercy Me
- 1972: Where Is the Love
- 1973: Masterpiece
- 1976: Knucklehead
- 1977: A Secret Place
- 1979: Just the Way You Are (released July)
- 1981: Winelight (release: May)
- 1982: Brazilian Memories
- 1984: When I Look at You (release: October)
- 1987: The Look of Love
- 1989: Jamaica
- 1995: Tonight Is the Night (with Larry Coryell and Peabo Bryson )
- 1996: Can You Stop the Rain
- 2003: Peacemaster
literature
- Stambler, Irwin: The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul . 3rd Revised Edition, New York City, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989, pp. 729-731 - ISBN 0-312-02573-4 .
swell
- ↑ a b c d Chart sources: UK US
- ↑ a b c d gold / platinum databases: UK US AT
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4 .
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot Dance / Disco 1974-2003, ISBN 978-0-89820-156-7 .
Web links
- Grover Washington, Jr. at Allmusic (English)
- Grover Washington, Jr. at Discogs (English)
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Washington, Grover Jr. |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz saxophonist |
DATE OF BIRTH | December 12, 1943 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Buffalo , New York |
DATE OF DEATH | December 17, 1999 |
Place of death | New York City |