Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American

jazz-funk Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat, electrified sounds, and analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creation of a genre that ranges from ...

and

soul-jazz Soul jazz or funky jazz is a subgenre of jazz that incorporates strong influences from hard bop, blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues. Soul jazz is often characterized by organ trios featuring the Hammond organ and small combos including sax ...

saxophonist and Grammy Award winner. Along with

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a ...

and

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 ...

, he is considered by many to be one of the founders and legends of the

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, smooth jazz radio became the successor to e ...

genre. He wrote some of his material and later became an arranger and producer. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Washington made some of the genre's most memorable hits, including "Mister Magic", "Reed Seed", "Black Frost", "Winelight", "Inner City Blues", "Let it Flow (For 'Dr. J')", and "The Best is Yet to Come". In addition, he performed very frequently with other artists, including

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 ( ...

on " Just the Two of Us",

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

on "

The Best Is Yet to Come "The Best Is Yet to Come" is a 1959 song composed by Cy Coleman to lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. It is associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on his 1964 album ''It Might as Well Be Swing'' accompanied by Count Basie under the direction of ...

", and

Phyllis Hyman Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Hyman's music career spanned the late 1970s through the early 1990s, and she was best known for her expansive contralto range. Some of her most ...

on "A Sacred Kind of Love".

Early life

Washington was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, on December 12, 1943. His mother was a church chorister, and his father was a collector of old

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

gramophone records A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog signal, analog sound Recording medium, storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, ...

and a saxophonist as well, so music was everywhere in the home. He grew up listening to the great jazzmen and big band leaders like

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical ...

, and others like them. At the age of 8, Grover Sr. gave Jr. a saxophone. He practiced and would sneak into clubs to see famous Buffalo

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

musicians. His younger brother, drummer Darryl Washington, would follow in his footsteps. He also had another younger brother named Michael Washington, who was an accomplished

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

organist who mastered the

Hammond B3 organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

. Washington was part of a vocal ensemble, the Teen Kings, which included Lonnie Smith.

Career

Early career

Washington left Buffalo and played with a

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

group called the Four Clefs and then the Mark III Trio from Mansfield, Ohio. Shortly thereafter, he was drafted into the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

, where he met drummer

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the '' Mode ...

. A music mainstay in New York City, Cobham introduced Washington to many New York musicians. After leaving the Army, Washington freelanced his talents around New York City, eventually landing in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1967. In 1970 and 1971, he appeared on

Leon Spencer Leon Spencer (November 1, 1945 – March 11, 2012) was an American jazz organist from Houston, Texas. He played piano with David Newman and organ with Melvin Sparks. Spencer recorded for Prestige in the early 1970s with Buddy Caldwell, Idris Muha ...

's first two albums on

Prestige Records Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...

, together with

Idris Muhammad Idris Muhammad (; born Leo Morris; November 13, 1939 – July 29, 2014) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, Rhythm and blues, R&B, and Soul music, soul music and recorded with musicians s ...

and

Melvin Sparks Melvin Sparks (March 22, 1946 – March 15, 2011) was an American soul jazz, hard bop and jazz blues guitarist. He recorded a number of albums for Prestige Records, later recording for Savant Records. He appeared on several recordings with mu ...

. Washington's breakthrough occurred when alto saxophonist

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...

was unable to make a recording date with

Creed Taylor Creed Bane Taylor V (May 13, 1929 – August 22, 2022) was an American record producer, best known for his work with CTI Records, which he founded in 1967. His career also included periods at Bethlehem Records, ABC-Paramount Records (includin ...

Kudu Records CTI Records (Creed Taylor Incorporated) is a jazz record label founded in 1967 by Creed Taylor. CTI was a subsidiary of A&M before becoming independent in 1970. Its first album was ''A Day in the Life'' by guitarist Wes Montgomery in 1967. The ...

, and Washington was chosen as his replacement. This opportunity led to his debut solo album, ''Inner City Blues''. Known for his versatility, Washington played soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone, gaining recognition for his contributions to jazz and his ability to blend into the mainstream.

Rise to fame

While his first three albums established him as a force in jazz and soul music, it was his fourth album in 1974, ''

Mister Magic ''Mister Magic'' is the fourth album by jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., released in February 1975. The album topped both the soul and jazz albums chart and peaked at number ten on the pop chart. Critical reception Reviewing for ''Th ...

'', that proved a major commercial success. The album climbed to number 1 on Billboard's R&B album chart and number 10 on Billboard's Top 40 album chart. The title track reached No. 16 on the R&B singles chart (#54, pop). All these albums included guitarist

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 ...

as a near-permanent member in Washington's arsenal. His follow-up on Kudu in 1975, ''Feels So Good'' also made No. 1 on Billboard's R&B album chart and No. 10 on the pop album chart. Both albums were major parts of the jazz-funk movement of the mid-1970s. A string of acclaimed records brought Washington through the 1970s, culminating in the signature piece for everything he would do from then on. '' Winelight'' (1980) was the album that defined everything Washington was then about, having signed for Elektra Records, part of the major Warner Music group. The album was smooth, fused with R&B and easy listening feel. Washington's love of basketball, especially the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

, led him to dedicate the second track, "Let It Flow", to

Julius Erving Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...

(Dr. J). The highlight of the album was his collaboration with soul artist

, "Just the Two of Us", a hit on radio during the spring and summer of 1981, peaking at No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album went

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

in 1981, and also won a

Grammy Award 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 ...

in 1982 for Best Jazz Fusion Performance ("Winelight"). "Winelight" was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. In the post-''Winelight'' era, Washington is credited for giving rise to a new batch of talent that would make its mark in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is known for bringing

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 ...

to the forefront, as well as artists such as

Kirk Whalum Kirk Whalum (born July 11, 1958) is an American R&B and smooth jazz saxophonist and songwriter. Whalum has recorded a series of commercially and critically acclaimed solo studio albums. Along with several film soundtracks, with music ranging fro ...

Walter Beasley Walter Beasley (born May 24, 1961) is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records. Biography Beasley grew up in El Centro, California. By the age of 13 he ...

Steve Cole Steve Cole (born August 17, 1970) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist. He is also a professor/adviser of music business at the University of St. Thomas. Early career and education Cole was born in Chicago, Illinois and began to play musi ...

, Pamela Williams,

Najee Jerome Najee Rasheed (born November 4, 1957, New York City), known professionally as Najee, is an American jazz saxophonist and flautist. Early life Najee was born in the lower west side of Manhattan in New York City and lived his teenage years ...

Boney James Boney James (born James Oppenheim September 1, 1961) is an American saxophonist, recording artist, songwriter and record producer. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee (Best Pop Instrumental Album, 2001, 2004, 2014 and Best Traditional R&B Per ...

and George Howard. His song "Mister Magic" is noted as being influential on go-go music starting in the mid-1970s.

Equipment

(Although he was later photographed with Keilwerth SX90 and SX90R black nickel plated soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones on album covers, he rarely played them live or in the studio.)

Death

On December 17, 1999, five days after his 56th birthday, Washington collapsed while waiting in the

green room In show business, the green room is the space in a theatre, or a similar venue, that functions as a waiting room and lounge for Performing arts, performers before, during, and after a performance or show when they are not engaged on Stage (thea ...

after performing four songs for '' The Saturday Early Show'', at

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

Studios in New York City. He was taken to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 7:30 pm. His doctors determined that he had suffered a massive

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. He is interred at

West Laurel Hill Cemetery West Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869, is in size, and contains the burials of many notable people. It is affiliated with Laurel Hill Cemetery in nearby Philadelphia. ...

Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania Bala Cynwyd ( ) is a community and census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania and borders the western edge of Philadelphia at U.S. Route ...

Tributes

A large mural of Washington, part of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, is just south of the intersection of Broad and Diamond streets. A Philadelphia middle school in the Olney section of the city is named after Washington. Grover Washington Jr. Middle School caters to fifth- to eighth-grade students interested in the creative and performing arts. There is a mural dedicated to Grover Washington, Jr. in Buffalo, where he grew up and attended school.

Inductions and other awards

In 1992, Washington was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk Of Fame. On April 24, 2023, Washington was inducted into the newly established, Atlantic City Walk Of Fame presented by, The National R&B Music Society Inc. Washington's daughter Shana Washington, was in attendance to accept the honor. Jazz and R&B artist

Jean Carn Jean Carn, also spelled Jean Carne (born Sarah Jean Perkins; March 15, 1947) is an American R&B/soul and jazz singer. In mid-career, she added a final ''e'' to her name. Carn is a vocalist credited with a five-octave vocal range. Biography Carn ...

inducted Washington.

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

The Delfonics The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include " La-La (Means I Love You)", " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)", "Bre ...

and

Little Anthony & The Imperials Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

were also inducted in the inaugural class.

Discography

Albums

As leader

As sideman

With Eddie Henderson * ''

Inspiration Inspiration, inspire, INSPIRE, or inspired commonly refers to: * Artistic inspiration, sudden creativity in artistic production * Biblical inspiration, a Christian doctrine on the origin of the Bible * Inhalation, breathing in Inspiration and rel ...

'' (Milestone, 1995) – rec. 1994 * ''Tribute to Lee Morgan'' (NYC Music, 1995) With

Boogaloo Joe Jones Ivan Joseph Jones (born November 1, 1940), known professionally as Joe Jones or Boogaloo Joe Jones, is an American jazz guitarist. Discography His song, Brown Bag, currently has 1 544 936 streams on Spotify as of 11 April 2024. As leader * '' ...

* ''

No Way! ''No Way!'' is the fifth album by guitarist Boogaloo Joe Jones which was recorded in 1970 and released on the Prestige label.Payne, Boogaloo Joe Jones discography accessed April 22, 2013 Reception Allmusic awarded the album 3 stars calling it ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) – rec. 1970 * '' What It Is'' (Prestige, 1971) With

Johnny "Hammond" Smith John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, wh ...

* ''

What's Going On What's Going On may refer to: Albums * What's Going On (album), ''What's Going On'' (album), a 1971 album by Marvin Gaye *What's Going On (Johnny "Hammond" Smith album), ''What's Going On'' (Johnny "Hammond" Smith album), 1971 * What's Going On (D ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) * '' Breakout'' (Kudu, 1971) * '' Wild Horses Rock Steady'' (Kudu, 1972) – rec. 1971 With

* '' Sneak Preview!'' (Prestige, 1971) – rec. 1970 * '' Louisiana Slim'' (Prestige, 1971) With others *

Kathleen Battle Kathleen Deanna Battle (born August 13, 1948) is an American operatic soprano known for her distinctive vocal range and tone. Born in Portsmouth, Ohio, Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances ...

, ''So Many Stars'' (

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 ...

, 1995) *

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige Records, Prestige, Blue Note, Verve Records, Verve, CTI Records, CTI, Muse Records, Muse, and Concord Records, Conco ...

, ''

Togethering ''Togethering'' is a 1985 jazz album by guitarist Kenny Burrell and saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., released on the relaunched Blue Note label. Reception The Allmusic review by Michael G. Nastos called it "a most satisfying session, with fe ...

'' (

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, 1985) – recorded in 1984 *

, ''

Help Me Make it Through the Night "Help Me Make It Through the Night" is a country ballad written and composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album '' Kristofferson''. It was covered later in 1970 by Sammi Smith, on the album '' Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...

'' (Kudu, 1972) *

Charles Earland Charles Earland (May 24, 1941 – December 11, 1999) was an American jazz organist. Biography Earland was born in Philadelphia and learned to play the saxophone in high school. He played tenor with Jimmy McGriff at the age of 17 and in 1960 fo ...

, '' Living Black!'' (Prestige, 1971) – live recorded in 1970 *

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

, ''American Classic'' ( Elektra Musician, 1982) *

Urbie Green Urban Clifford "Urbie" Green (August 8, 1926 – December 31, 2018) was an American jazz trombonist who toured with Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Jan Savitt, and Frankie Carle. He played on over 250 recordings and released more than twenty albums a ...

, '' Señor Blues'' (CTI, 1977) *

Masaru Imada is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer. Life and career Imada was born in Tokyo on 21 March 1932. He had classical piano lessons. He played jazz in student bands while a student at Meiji University is a Private university, private research ...

, ''Blue Marine'' (Trio, 1982) * The Mark III Trio, ''Let's Ska at the Ski Lodge'' (Downhill, 1964) *

, '' Power of Soul'' (

Kudu The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus '' Tragelaphus'': * Lesser kudu, ''Tragelaphus imberbis'', of eastern Africa * Greater kudu, ''Tragelaphus strepsiceros'', of eastern and southern Africa The two species look similar, th ...

, 1974) *

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 ...

, ''Dragonfly'' ( Telarc Jazz, 1995) *

Don Sebesky Donald John Sebesky (December 10, 1937 – April 29, 2023) was an American composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz trombonist. He was a multi-instrumentalist and could play a number of other instruments: keyboards, electric piano, organ, accord ...

, ''

Giant Box ''Giant Box'' is a double album by American arranger/conductor and composer Don Sebesky recorded in 1973 and released on the CTI label.

'' (CTI, 1973) * Lonnie Smith, ''

Mama Wailer ''Mama Wailer'' is an album by American jazz organist Lonnie Smith recorded in 1971 and released on the Kudu label.

'' (Kudu, 1971) *

, ''

Spark Plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) * Urban Knights, '' Urban Knights I'' (GRP, 1995) *

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

, '' My Dear Family'' (Evidence, 1993) *

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious M ...

, '' Blue Moses'' (CTI, 1972) *

, ''Just the Two of Us'' ( Columbia, 1981)

Singles

References

External links

Grover Washington Jr. at Legacy Recordings

Grover Washington TV Interview
from C Music TV
Jazz Conversations with Eric Jackson: Grover Washington Jr.
fro
WGBH Radio Boston
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Grover Jr. 1943 births 1999 deaths African-American jazz composers African-American woodwind musicians American jazz soprano saxophonists American jazz alto saxophonists American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists Soul-jazz saxophonists Musicians from Buffalo, New York Smooth jazz saxophonists Grammy Award winners Jazz musicians from Philadelphia Motown artists Columbia Records artists Elektra Records artists Burials at West Laurel Hill Cemetery 20th-century American jazz composers 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from New York (state) American male jazz composers 20th-century American male musicians The Blackout All-Stars members CTI Records artists 20th-century African-American musicians