Grover Washington, Jr. Biography, Photos and Posters

Grover Washington, Jr.

Biography

Born: December 12, 1943
City and Country of Origin: Buffalo, New York
Music Training: first saxophone at age 8;
Awards:
Top Recordings: "Mr. Magic," "Black Frost," "The Best is Yet to Come," "Just the Two of Us," "Take Another Five," "Soulful Strut"
Grover Washington, Jr. Biography: The well rounded saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. is considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of smooth jazz. The son of a jazz collecting saxophonist father and church choir singing mother Grover was equally at home on the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones.

He lest Buffalo to play with a midwest group called the Four Clefs. Shortly thereafter he was drafted into the US Army where he met drummer Billy Cobham a New York City mainstay. When he left the Army he freelanced his talents around New York eventually landing in Philadelphia in 1967.

Grover got his big break when alto sax man Hank Crawford was unable to make a recording date with Prestige Records. Washington took his place which eventually led to his first album Inner City Blues. It wasn't until his fifth album, 1974's Mister Magic which introduced guitarist Eric Gale, that he became a commercially successful artist. A string of successful records through the 70s culminated in his signature piece 1980's Winelight which defined everything that Washington was about. A smooth blend of easy listening fused with r and b led off by the first track "Let It Flow" dedicated to his favorite basketball player Julius Erving. The highlight of the album was a collaboration with soul artist Bill Withers on "Just The Two of Us." The album went platinum in 1981 and garnered a couple of Grammys.

After that Washington has been accredited with creating a new breed of jazz musicians like: Kenny G, Steve Cole, Pamela Williams, Najee, George Howard and The Philadelphia Experiment. On December 17th, 1999, while waiting in the green room after taping four songs for the The Early Show, at CBS Studios in New York City, Washington collapsed. He was taken to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 7:30 p.m. His doctors determined that he had suffered a massive heart attack. He was 56 when he died.
Died: December 17, 1999

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