Robert David Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

and 10

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

. Grusin was also a frequent collaborator with director

Sydney Pollack Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Pollack is known for directing commercially and critically acclaimed studio films. Over his forty year career he received numerous accolades ...

, scoring many of his films like ''

Three Days of the Condor ''Three Days of the Condor'' is a 1975 American spy thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, and Max von Sydow. The screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel was based on the ...

'' (1975), ''

Absence of Malice ''Absence of Malice'' is a 1981 American drama neo noir thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Wilford Brimley, Melinda Dillon and Bob Balaban. The title refers to one of the defenses against libe ...

'' (1981), ''

Tootsie ''Tootsie'' is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy film directed by Sydney Pollack from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal and a story by Gelbart and Don McGuire. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, D ...

'' (1982), ''

The Firm The FIRM is a brand of exercise videos and equipment currently owned by Gaiam. First released in 1986, the video series is best known for popularizing a hybrid of aerobic exercise and weight training. History In 1979, Anna Benson founded th ...

'' (1993), and ''

Random Hearts ''Random Hearts'' is a 1999 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas. Based on the 1984 novel by Warren Adler, the film is about a police officer and a Congresswoman who discover ...

'' (1999). In 1978, Grusin founded

GRP Records GRP® Records (Grusin-Rosen Productions) is a jazz record label founded by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen in 1978. Distributed by Verve Records, GRP® was originally known for its digital recordings that focuses on its jazz genre. History With Gr ...

with Larry Rosen, and was an early pioneer of

digital recording In digital recording, an audio signal, audio or video signal is converted into a stream of discrete numbers representing the changes over time in air pressure for audio, or Color, chroma and luminance values for video. This number stream is s ...

Early life

Grusin was born in

Littleton, Colorado Littleton is a home rule municipality city located in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Stati ...

, to Henri and Rosabelle (née de Poyster) Grusin. His family originates from the

Gruzinsky Gruzinsky (; ka, გრუზინსკი) was a title and later the name of two different princely lines of the Bagrationi dynasty of Georgia (country), Georgia, both of which received it as subjects of the Russian Empire. The name "Gruzins ...

princely line of the

Bagrationi dynasty The Bagrationi dynasty (; ) is a royal family, royal dynasty which reigned in Georgia (country), Georgia from the Middle Ages until the early 19th century, being among the oldest extant Christianity, Christian ruling dynasties in the world. In ...

, the royal family that ruled the

Kingdom of Georgia The Kingdom of Georgia (), also known as the Georgian Empire, was a Middle Ages, medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in Anno Domini, AD. It reached Georgian Golden Age, its Golden Age of political and economic strength during the reign ...

in the ninth to 19th centuries. In Slavic languages, "Grusin" is an

ethnonym An ethnonym () is a name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (whose name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms, or endonyms (whose name is created and used ...

for

Georgians Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and Peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian ethnic group native to present-day Georgia (country), Georgia and surrounding areas historically associated with the Ge ...

. Grusin's father, Henri, was a violinist of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

ancestry who was born and raised in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

, then part of the Russian Empire, from where he emigrated to

the United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1913. Grusin's mother, Rosabelle, was a pianist. He is the older brother of fellow jazz keyboardist, composer, and producer

Don Grusin Donald Henri Grusin (born April 22, 1941) is an American jazz keyboardist, composer, and record producer. He is the younger brother of Dave Grusin. Career Don Grusin grew up in Littleton, Colorado. His father, a native of Latvia, was a classica ...

. Grusin studied music at the

University of Colorado at Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a Public university, public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a Federated state, state, it is the fla ...

and graduated in 1956. His teachers included Cecil Effinger, and Wayne Scott, a pianist, arranger, and professor of jazz.

Career

Grusin produced his first single in 1962, "Subways Are for Sleeping", and his first film score, for '' Divorce American Style'', in 1967. Other scores followed, including ''

The Graduate ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American independent romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novella by Charles Webb. It stars Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddoc ...

'' (1967), ''

Winning Winning may refer to: * Victory Film * Winning (film), ''Winning'' (film), a 1969 movie starring Paul Newman * ''Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman'', a 2015 documentary by Adam Carolla and Nate Adams Music * ''Winning'', an album by Ten Fo ...

'' (1969), ''

The Friends of Eddie Coyle ''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 American neo-noir crime film starring Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle and directed by Peter Yates. The screenplay by Paul Monash was adapted from the 1970 novel '' The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' by G ...

'' (1973), '' The Midnight Man'' (1974), and ''

'' (1975). In 1978, Grusin founded

with his business partner Larry Rosen, and began producing some of the first commercial digital recordings. Grusin was the composer for '' On Golden Pond'' (1981), ''

'' (1982), and ''

The Goonies ''The Goonies'' is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed and co-produced by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus based on a story by Steven Spielberg and starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin (in his film debut), Jeff Cohen ...

'' (1985). In 1988, he won the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

for Best Original Score for ''

The Milagro Beanfield War ''The Milagro Beanfield War'' is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Redford, based on a novel by John Nichols. The movie features an ensemble cast including Ruben Blades, Richard Bradford, Sônia Braga, Julie Carmen, James G ...

''. Grusin composed the musical signatures for the 1984

TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is part of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The compan ...

logo (which was credited at the end of '' Look Who's Talking Too'') and the 1993

Columbia Pictures Television Columbia Pictures Television, Inc. (abbreviated as CPT) was launched on May 6, 1974, by Columbia Pictures as an American television production and distribution company. It is the second name of Columbia Pictures' television division Screen Gems ...

logo. In 1998, Grusin ranked #5 and #8 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s Top 10 Jazz Artists, at mid-year and at year's end, respectively, based on sales of his album "Dave Grusin Presents ''West Side Story''." From 2000–11, Grusin concentrated on classical and jazz compositions, touring and recording with collaborators including jazz singer and lyricist

Lorraine Feather Lorraine Feather (born Billie Jane Lee Lorraine Feather; September 10, 1948) is an American singer, lyricist, and songwriter. Early life A native of Manhattan, she was born to jazz writer Leonard Feather and his wife Jane, a former big band si ...

and guitarist

Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born in 1952, in Los Angeles, California. At the age of eight he started playing guitar and four years l ...

. Their album ''Harlequin'' won a Grammy Award in 1985. Their classical crossover albums, '' Two Worlds'' and '' Amparo'', were nominated for Grammys. Grusin has a filmography of about 100 titles. His many awards include an

for best original score for ''

'', as well as Oscar nominations for '' The Champ'', ''

The Fabulous Baker Boys ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy drama musical film written and directed by Steve Kloves. The film follows a piano act consisting of two brothers, who hire an attractive female singer to help revive their waning ...

'', ''

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Heaven Can Wait'', and '' On Golden Pond''. Grusin received a Best Original Song nomination for "It Might Be You" from the film ''

''. Six of the 14 cuts on the soundtrack from ''

'' are his. Other film scores Grusin has composed include '' Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?'', ''

'', ''

Tequila Sunrise Tequila Sunrise may refer to: * Tequila sunrise, an alcoholic mixed drink * ''Tequila Sunrise'' (film), a 1988 film * "Tequila Sunrise" (Eagles song), 1973 * "Tequila Sunrise" (Cypress Hill song), 1998 * "Tequila Sunrise" (''Entourage''), an e ...

'', '' Hope Floats'', ''

'', ''

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' (1940) is the debut novel of American author Carson McCullers, who was 23 at the time of publication. It is a Southern Gothic novel about a deaf man named John Singer and the people he encounters in a 1930s m ...

'', ''

Mulholland Falls ''Mulholland Falls'' is a 1996 American neo-noir Crime film, crime Thriller (genre), thriller film directed by Lee Tamahori, written by Pete Dexter, and starring an ensemble cast featuring Nick Nolte, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri, Michae ...

'', and ''

''. He composed the original opening fanfare for film studio

. Grusin composed theme music for the TV programs '' Good Morning World'' (1967), '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968), '' The Name of the Game'' (1968), ''

Dan August ''Dan August'' is an American drama series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from September 23, 1970, to April 8, 1971. Burt Reynolds played the title character. Reruns of the series aired in prime time on CBS from May to October ...

'' (1970), ''

The Sandy Duncan Show ''Funny Face'' and ''The Sandy Duncan Show'' are two American sitcoms aired by CBS starring Sandy Duncan as part of its 1971 and 1972 fall lineups, respectively. Both series were created and produced by Carl Kleinschmitt. In the spring of 197 ...

'' (1971–72), '' Maude'' (1972), ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...

'' (1974), ''

Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, '' Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police ...

'' (1975), ''

St. Elsewhere ''St. Elsewhere'' is an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...

'' (1982), and, for

Televisa Grupo Televisa, S.A.B., simply known as Televisa, is a Mexican telecommunications and broadcasting company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April ...

in Mexico, ''Tres Generaciones'' (1987). He composed music for individual episodes of each of those shows. Grusin's other TV credits include ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western (genre), Western, spy film, spy, and science fiction on television, science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 19 ...

'' (1966), '' The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1966), and '' Columbo: Prescription: Murder'' (1968). He composed and performed the 1984-1991 theme music for ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as ...

'' (1968). Grusin wrote the music for the ''

This Is America, Charlie Brown ''This Is America, Charlie Brown'' is an eight-part animated television miniseries that depicts a series of events in American history featuring characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip ''Peanuts''. It aired from 1988 to 1989 on CBS ...

'' episode "The Smithsonian and the Presidency", and two of the cues from the episode "History Lesson" and "Breadline Blues" (the latter covered by

Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selli ...

) appear on the tribute album '' Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown''. "History Lesson" also appears in the Amiga CDTV version of ''Snoopy: The Cool Computer Game''. In 1994, GRP was in charge of MCA's jazz operations. Founders Grusin and Rosen left in the following year and were replaced by Tommy LiPuma. In 1997, Grusin and Rosen founded

N2K Encoded Music N-Coded Music was a jazz record label in New York City founded by Dave Grusin, Larry Rosen (producer), Larry Rosen, and Phil Ramone as N2K Encoded Music in 1997. Their original business model was to break out new artists and groups from various ...

, which was renamed

N-Coded Music N-Coded Music was a jazz record label in New York City founded by Dave Grusin, Larry Rosen, and Phil Ramone as N2K Encoded Music in 1997. Their original business model was to break out new artists and groups from various genres (mainly smooth ...

. Grusin received

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

s from

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

in 1988 and

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...

, College of Music in 1989. He was initiated into the Beta Chi chapter of

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (legally Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha, PMA, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social Fraternities and sororities, fraternity for men with a special interest ...

at the University of Colorado in 1991.

Personal life

Grusin has been married to Nan Newton for many years and they have three adult sons: Scott, Michael, and Stuart. He is also the stepfather of Nan's adult daughter, Annie Vought. Grusin is the subject of a 2018 feature-length documentary, “Dave Grusin: Not Enough Time.”

Awards and honors

Over a 15-year period from 1979–1994, Grusin won an

, and received seven more nominations. He has been nominated for 38

and won 10.

Academy Awards

Dates given are those of the relevant

Awards ceremony An awards ceremony is a type of ceremony where awards are given out. The ceremony may be arranged by a government organization, a society, a school, a trade association or even a company that specializes in running awards ceremonies. Typically a m ...

, not when the films were released. *Winner, Music (Original Score): ''

'' (1989) *Nomination, Music (Original Score): '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1979), '' The Champ'' (1980), '' On Golden Pond'' (1982), ''

'' (1990), ''

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.The Firm The FIRM is a brand of exercise videos and equipment currently owned by Gaiam. First released in 1986, the video series is best known for popularizing a hybrid of aerobic exercise and weight training. History In 1979, Anna Benson founded th ...

'' (1994) *Nomination, Music (Original Song): "

It Might Be You "It Might Be You" is a song with music written by Dave Grusin and lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman. It was performed by singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop in the 1982 film ''Tootsie'' starring Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange. The song wa ...

" (1983), with

Alan and Marilyn Bergman Alan Bergman (born September 11, 1925) and Marilyn Keith Bergman (née Katz; November 10, 1928 – January 8, 2022) were an American songwriting duo. Married from 1958 until Marilyn's death, together they wrote music and lyrics for numerous celeb ...

Grammy Awards

*Winner, Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special: ''

'' (1968), shared with

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

. *Winner, Best Arrangement on an Instrumental: Summer Sketches '82 (1982), " Early A.M. Attitude" (1986), "Suite" for ''The Milagro Beanfield War'' (1990), "Bess You Is My Woman/I Loves You Porgy" (1991), "Mood Indigo" (1993), "Three Cowboy Songs" (1994) *Winner, Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals: "My Funny Valentine" by Michelle Pfeiffer (1989), "Mean Old Man" by James Taylor (2002) *Winner, Best Album Original Score Written for Motion Picture or Television: ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'' (1989) *Nomination, Best Original Score: ''Selena''

Golden Globe Awards

*Nomination, Best Original Score: ''The Milagro Beanfield War'' (1988), ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'' (1989), ''Havana'' (1990), '' For the Boys'' (1991)

Other

* Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award,

, 1991 * AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores (Best American Film Scores of all Time voted by the American Film Institute): #24 for ''On Golden Pond''

Discography

As leader

* ''Subways Are for Sleeping'' (

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

, 1962) * ''Piano, Strings, and Moonlight'' (Epic, 1962) * ''Kaleidoscope'' ( Columbia, 1964) * '' Divorce American Style'' (

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

, 1967) – soundtrack * ''

'' (Columbia, 1968) – soundtrack recorded in 1967 * ''The Heart is a Lonely Hunter'' (Film Score Monthly, 1968) - soundtrack * '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir'' (1968 - 1970) – TV series * '' The Name of the Game'' (1968 - 1971) – TV series theme * ''

Candy Candy, alternatively called sweets or lollies, is a Confectionery, confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, also called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, including chocolate, chewing gum ...

'' (Epic, 1969) – soundtrack * ''

'' ( DRG/

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

, 1975) – soundtrack * '' Discovered Again!'' (Sheffield Lab, 1976) * ''Don't Touch'' (Versatile, 1977) * '' One of a Kind'' ( GRP, 1977) * ''Heaven Can Wait'' (Kritzerland, 1978) - soundtrack * '' The Champ'' (

Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and cast recording, original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as ...

, 1979) – soundtrack * ''Mountain Dance'' (GRP, 1979) - AUS #100 * '' The Electric Horseman'' (Varèse Sarabande, 1979) – soundtrack * ''Dave Grusin Presents GRP All-Stars Live in Japan'' (JVC, 1980) * ''On Golden Pond'' (Varèse Sarabande, 1981) - soundtrack * '' Out of the Shadows'' (Arista-GRP, 1982) * ''

'' (Film Score Monthly, 1982) - soundtrack * '' Night-Lines'' (GRP, 1983) * '' Dave Grusin and the NY-LA Dream Band'' (GRP, 1984) * '' Racing with the Moon'' (Kritzerland, 1984) - soundtrack * ''

The Pope of Greenwich Village ''The Pope of Greenwich Village'' is a 1984 American dramatic crime film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Geraldine Page, Kenneth McMillan and Burt Young. Page was nominated for the Academy A ...

'' (Quartet Records, 1984) - soundtrack * ''

Harlequin Harlequin (, , ; , ) is the best-known of the comic servant characters (Zanni) from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by the Italian actor-manager Zan ...

'' (with

) (GRP, 1985) * ''

'' (Varèse Sarabande, 1985) - soundtrack * ''Lucas'' (Varèse Sarabande, 1986) * '' Cinemagic'' (GRP, 1987) * ''GRP Live in Session'' (GRP, 1988) * '' Sticks and Stones'' (with

) (GRP, 1988) * ''

Migration Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...

'' (GRP, 1989) * ''

'' (GRP, 1989) - soundtrack * ''

A Dry White Season ''A Dry White Season'' is a 1989 American drama film directed by Euzhan Palcy, and starring Donald Sutherland, Jürgen Prochnow, Marlon Brando, Janet Suzman, Zakes Mokae and Susan Sarandon. It was written by Colin Welland and Palcy, based u ...

'' (Kritzerland, 1989) - soundtrack * ''

The Bonfire of the Vanities ''The Bonfire of the Vanities'' is a 1987 novel by Tom Wolfe. The story is a drama about ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed in 1980s New York City, and centers on three main characters: WASP bond trader Sherman McCoy, Jewish a ...

'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

, 1990) - soundtrack * ''

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.The Gershwin Connection'' (GRP, 1991) * ''GRP Super Live in Concert'' (GRP, 1992) * '' Homage to Duke'' (GRP , 1993) * ''

'' (MCA-GRP , 1993) - soundtrack * ''

Dave Grusin Presents GRP All-Star Big Band Live! ''Dave Grusin Presents GRP All-Star Big Band Live!'' is a jazz album by the GRP All-Star Big Band. Track listing Personnel * Dave Grusin – piano * John Patitucci – bass * Dave Weckl – drums * Gary Burton – vibraphone * Tom Scott � ...

'' (GRP 97402, 1993) * '' The Orchestral Album'' (GRP, 1994) * ''

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

'' (GRP, 1995) - soundtrack * '' Two for the Road'' (GRP, 1996) *

(Cinerama, 1996) - soundtrack * ''

Selena Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most cel ...

'' (

Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

, 1997) - soundtrack * ''West Side Story'' ( N-Coded, 1997) * '' Hope Floats'' (RCA Victor, 1998) - soundtrack * ''

'' (

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

, 1999) * '' Two Worlds'' (with Lee Ritenour) (

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

, 2000) * '' Dinner with Friends'' (Jellybean, 2001) - soundtrack * ''Portrait of Bill Evans'' (JVC, 2002) tracks* '' Now Playing'' (GRP, 2004) * '' Amparo'' (with Lee Ritenour) (Decca, 2008) * '' The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' (Varèse Sarabande, 2008) - soundtrack * ''An Evening with Dave Grusin'' ( Heads Up, 2010) * ''One Night Only!'' (C.A.R.E./Intergroove, 2011) * ''Brasil'' (Candid, 2024)

As sideman

With

Patti Austin Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American Grammy Award-winning R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter best known for " Baby, Come to Me", her 1982 duet with James Ingram, which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after its re-release ...

* '' Havana Candy'' (CTI, 1977) * '' Love Is Gonna Getcha'' (GRP, 1990) – rec. 1989 With

the Brothers Johnson The Brothers Johnson was an American funk and R&B band consisting of the American brothers George ("Lightnin' Licks") and Louis E. Johnson ("Thunder Thumbs"). They achieved their greatest success from the mid-1970s to early 1980s, with three ...

* '' Look Out for#1'' (A&M, 1976) * '' Right on Time'' (A&M, 1977) With Tom Browne * '' Browne Sugar'' (GRP, 1979) * '' Love Approach'' (GRP, 1980) – rec. 1979-80 * ''

Magic Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...

'' (Arista, 1981) With

* ''10k-LA'' (JVC, 1981) * ''Native Land'' (GRP, 1993) * ''The Hang'' (Sovereign, 2004) With

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

* ''

You've Got It Bad Girl ''You've Got It Bad Girl'' is a 1973 album by the American jazz musician/producer Quincy Jones. The opening track is an interpretation of the Lovin' Spoonful's " Summer in the City", and won Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement at 1 ...

'' (A&M, 1973) * ''

Body Heat Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature ...

'' (A&M, 1974) * '' Mellow Madness'' (A&M, ,1975) * '' I Heard That!!'' (A&M, 1976) * ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...

'' (A&M, 1977) With

John Klemmer John T. Klemmer (born July 3, 1946) is an American saxophonist, composer, songwriter, and arranger. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and began playing guitar at the age of five and alto saxophone at the age of 11. His other earl ...

* ''Touch'' (ABC, 1975) * ''Barefoot Ballet'' (ABC, 1976) With

Earl Klugh Earl Klugh ( ; born September 16, 1953) is an American acoustic guitarist and composer. He has won one Grammy Award and received 13 nominations. Biography At the age of six, Klugh commenced training on the piano until he switched to the guitar ...

* ''

'' (Blue Note, 1976) * '' Living Inside Your Love'' (Blue Note, 1976) * '' Finger Paintings'' (Blue Note, 1977) With

Jon Lucien Lucien Leopold Harrigan (January 8, 1942 – August 18, 2007), known professionally as Jon Lucien, was a singer from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Life and career Born in Tortola in 1942, Lucien was raised in St. Thomas. His parents we ...

* ''Rashida'' (RCA, 1973) * ''Mind's Eye'' (RCA, 1974) * ''Song for My Lady'' (Columbia, 1975) With

Harvey Mason Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. He was the original drummer for Herbie Hancock's band The Headhunters. Life and career Mason was born and grew ...

* ''Marching in the Street'' (Arista, 1976) * ''Funk in a Mason Jar'' (Arista, 1977) * '' With All My Heart'' (Bluebird, 2004) With

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

* ''I Am Music'' (Blue Note, 1975) * '' Can't Hide Love'' (Blue Note, 1976) With

Sergio Mendes Sergio may refer to: * Sergio (name), for people with the given name Sergio * Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found * Sergio, the mascot for the Old Orchard Beach Surge Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungar ...

* ''Homecooking'' (Elektra, 1976) * ''Sergio Mendes & the New Brasil '77'' (Elektra, 1977) With

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing t ...

* ''Little Big Horn'' (GRP, 1983) * ''Dragonfly'' (Telarc Jazz, 1995) With

* '' First Course'' (

, 1976) * '' Gentle Thoughts''(

JVC JVC (short for Japan Victor Company) is a Japanese brand owned by JVCKenwood. Founded in 1927 as the Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan and later as , the company was best known for introducing Japan's first televisions and for developin ...

1977) * ''

Captain Fingers ''Captain Fingers'' is the third studio album by guitarist Lee Ritenour, released in 1977 by Epic Records. Track listing Personnel * Lee Ritenour – electric guitars, 360 Systems Polyphonic guitar synthesizer (1, 2, 4, 6), electric 12-str ...

'' (Epic, 1977) * ''

Friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...

'' (Jasrac, 1978) * ''

The Captain's Journey ''The Captain's Journey'' is the sixth studio album by guitarist Lee Ritenour, released in 1978 by Elektra Records. Critical reception ''The Press of Atlantic City'' noted that "it is Grusin's material that saves the album from sheer boredom." ...

'' (Elektra, 1978) * '' Rio'' (JVC, 1979) * '' Feel the Night'' (

Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...

, 1979) * ''On the Line'' (GRP, 1983) * "Harlequin" (GRP, 1985) * '' Earth Run'' (GRP, 1986) * ''

Festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

'' (GRP, 1988) * ''World of Brazil'' (GRP, 2003) * ''Overtime'' (

Peak Peak or The Peak may refer to: Basic meanings Geology * Mountain peak ** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics * Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion * Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-d ...

, 2005) * ''Smoke 'N' Mirrors'' (Peak, 2006) * ''Rhythm Sessions'' ( Concord, 2012) * ''A Twist of Rit'' (Concord, 2015) With

Diane Schuur Diane Joan Schuur (born December 10, 1953), nicknamed "Deedles", is an American jazz singer and pianist. As of 2015, Schuur had released 23 albums, and had extended her jazz repertoire to include essences of Latin, gospel, pop and country musi ...

* ''Deedles'' (1985) * ''Timeless'' (1986) With

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...

* '' October Road'' (Columbia, 2002) * '' A Christmas Album'' (

Hallmark Cards Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a Privately held company, privately held, family-owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of greeting cards in the United ...

, 2004) * '' James Taylor at Christmas'' (Columbia, 2006) With

Dave Valentin David Peter Valentin (April 29, 1952 – March 8, 2017) was an American Latin jazz flautist of Puerto Rican descent. Life and career Valentin was born to Puerto Rican parents in The Bronx in New York City. He attended The High School of Mus ...

* ''Legends'' (Arista GRP, 1978) * ''The Hawk'' (GRP, 1979) * ''Flute Juice'' (GRP, 1983) * ''Kalahari'' (GRP, 1984) With

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

* '' A Time in My Life'' (Mainstream, 1972) * ''

Sarah Vaughan with Michel Legrand ''Sarah Vaughan with Michel Legrand'' is a 1972 studio album by Sarah Vaughan, arranged by Michel Legrand. The ten songs on the original LP album were composed by Legrand with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Some reissues have included two bo ...

'' (Mainstream, 1972) With Sadao Watanabe * ''My Dear Life'' (Flying Disk, 1977) * ''California Shower'' (Flying Disk, 1978) * ''Morning Island'' (Flying Disk, 1979) * ''How's Everything'' (Columbia, 1980) LP– live * ''Orange Express'' (CBS/Sony, 1981) * ''Encore!'' (Victor, 2016) With others *

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

, '' 20/20'' (Warner Bros., 1985) – rec. 1984 *

Angela Bofill Angela Tomasa Bofill (May 2, 1954 – June 13, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter and composer of Cuban- Puerto Rican origins. A New York native, she began her professional career in the mid-1970s and is most known for singles such as " T ...

, ''Angel of the Night'' (Arista, 1979) * Ray Brown, ''Brown's Bag'' (Concord Jazz, 1976) *

Bobby Broom Robert Broom Jr. (born January 18, 1961) is an American jazz guitarist, composer, and educator. He was born and raised in New York City, then moved to Chicago, which has been his home town since 1984. He performs and records with The Bobby Broom ...

, ''Clean Sweep'' (Arista GRP, 1981) *

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning nearly seven decades. An Academy Awards, Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Awards, Grammy Award-winning rec ...

, ''Home Again'' (Elektra, 1984) *

Eddie Daniels Eddie Daniels (born October 19, 1941) is an American musician and composer. Although he is best known as a jazz clarinetist, he has also played saxophone and flute as well as classical music on clarinet. Early life, family and education Daniel ...

, ''Blackwood'' (GRP, 1989) *

Kevin Eubanks Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short-lived ''The Jay Le ...

, ''Face to Face'' (GRP, 1986) *

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doub ...

, ''

Crawl Space A crawl space or crawlspace is an unoccupied, unfinished, narrow space within a building, between the ground and the first (or ground) floor. The crawl space is so named because there is typically only enough room to crawl rather than stand; any ...

'' (CTI, 1972) *

Eric Gale Eric Gale (September 20, 1938 – May 25, 1994) was an American jazz and jazz fusion guitarist. Biography Eric Gale was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. His grandfather was English, and Gale had relatives in Venezuela and Bar ...

, ''Part of You'' (Columbia, 1979) *

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, or simply The Big Phat Band, is an 18-piece Orchestral jazz, jazz orchestra led by Gordon Goodwin that combines the big band swing of the 1930s and 1940s with contemporary music such as funk and jazz fusion. Since ...

, '' Act Your Age'' (Immergent, 2008) *

Lesley Gore Lesley Gore (born Lesley Sue Goldstein, May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015) was an American singer and songwriter. At the age of 16, she recorded her first hit song " It's My Party", a US number one in 1963. She follow ...

, ''Love Me by Name'' (A&M, 1976) * Jay Hoggard, ''Days Like These'' (GRP, 1979) *

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and ...

, ''We Got By'' (Reprise, 1975) *

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...

, '' 52nd Street'' (Columbia, 1978) *

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

, '' ck'' (Warner Bros., 1988) *

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

, '' Let's Love'' (Atlantic, 1974) *

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

, '' For the Boys'' (Atlantic, 1991) – soundtrack *

Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Smith (born October 29, 1945) known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Smith on October 29, 1945, in New York City to Gertrude Melba ...

, ''Peach Melba'' (Buddah, 1975) *

Alphonse Mouzon Alphonse Lee Mouzon (November 21, 1948 – December 25, 2016) was an American musician and vocalist, most prominently known as a jazz fusion drummer. He was also a composer, arranger, producer, and actor. Mouzon gained popularity in the late 196 ...

, '' The Man Incognito'' (Blue Note, 1976) – rec. 1975 * Noel Pointer, ''Phantazia'' (Blue Note, 1977) * The Rippingtons, '' Curves Ahead'' (GRP, 1991) *

Howard Roberts Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician. Early life Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 — a ...

, '' Equinox Express Elevator'' (Impulse!, 1972) *

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "Poetry Man" and "Harpo's Blues", and her credited guest vocals on Paul Simo ...

, ''Against the Grain'' (CBS, 1978) *

Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...

, ''

'' (Geffen, 1982) – rec. 1981–82 * Grover Washington Jr., '' A Secret Place'' (Kudu, 1976) * Nancy Wilson, '' This Mother's Daughter'' (Capitol, 1976) *

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He is known for having several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me ( ...

, '' Making Music'' (Columbia, 1975)

Filmography

Notes

References

External links

* * Music video sampler:
Dave Grusin on ''Sound of Cinema'', interviewed by Matthew Sweet
BBC Radio, 21 November 2020
Performances of Dave Grusin's piano music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grusin, Dave 1934 births Living people 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American composers 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American pianists American film score composers American jazz pianists American male conductors (music) American male film score composers American male jazz pianists American male songwriters American male television composers American music arrangers American people of Latvian descent American television composers Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners Epic Records artists Grammy Award winners GRP All-Star Big Band members GRP Records artists Jazz musicians from Colorado Jewish American film score composers American jazz composers Jewish American composers Jewish jazz musicians Jewish American television composers People from Littleton, Colorado Smooth jazz pianists Songwriters from Colorado University of Colorado Boulder alumni