Grover Washington Jr.

Grover Washington Jr.
Washington in 1995
Background information
Birth name	Grover Washington Jr.
Born	(1943-12-12)December 12, 1943 Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Died	December 17, 1999(1999-12-17) (aged 56) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Soul-jazz jazz-funk R&B smooth jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument(s)	Saxophone, flute
Years active	1967–1999
Labels	Kudu, Motown, Elektra, Columbia
Spouse	Christine Washington

Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999)^[1][2] was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist and Grammy Award winner. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders and legends of the smooth jazz genre.^[3] 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 on "Just the Two of Us", Patti LaBelle on "The Best Is Yet to Come", and Phyllis Hyman on "A Sacred Kind of Love".

Washington was born in Buffalo, New York, on December 12, 1943.^[4] His mother was a church chorister, and his father was a collector of old jazz gramophone records 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, Fletcher Henderson, 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 musicians. His younger brother, drummer Daryl Washington, would follow in his footsteps. He also had another younger brother named Michael Washington, who was an accomplished Gospel Music organist who mastered the Hammond B3 organ. He was part of a vocal ensemble, The Teen Kings, which included Lonnie Smith.

Washington left Buffalo and played with a Midwest group called the Four Clefs and then the Mark III Trio from Mansfield, Ohio. Shortly thereafter, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he met drummer Billy Cobham. 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 in 1967.^[1] In 1970 and 1971, he appeared on Leon Spencer's first two albums on Prestige Records, together with Idris Muhammad and Melvin Sparks.

Washington's big break came when alto sax man Hank Crawford was unable to make a recording date with Creed Taylor's Kudu Records,^[5] and Washington took his place, even though he was a backup. This led to his first solo album, Inner City Blues. He was talented and displayed heart and soul with soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. Refreshing for his time, he made headway into the jazz mainstream.

While his first three albums established him as a force in jazz and soul music, it was his fourth album in 1974, Mister Magic, 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 as a near-permanent member in Washington's arsenal.^[1] 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.^[4]

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, led him to dedicate the second track, "Let It Flow", to Julius Erving (Dr. J). The highlight of the album was his collaboration with soul artist Bill Withers, "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.^[4] The album went platinum in 1981,^[4] and also won Grammy Awards in 1982 for Best R&B Song ("Just The Two of Us"), and Best Jazz Fusion Performance ("Winelight"). "Winelight" was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.^[1]

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 to the forefront, as well as artists such as Kirk Whalum, Walter Beasley, Steve Cole, Pamela Williams, Najee, Boney James and George Howard. His song "Mister Magic" is noted as being influential on go-go music starting in the mid-1970s.^[6]

(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.)

On December 17, 1999, five days after his 56th birthday, Washington collapsed while waiting in the green room after performing four songs for The Saturday Early Show, at CBS 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.^[1] He is interred at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

A large mural of Washington, part of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, is just south of the intersection of Broad and Diamond streets.^[7][8] 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.^[9]

There is a mural dedicated to Grover Washington, Jr. in Buffalo, where he grew up and attended school.^[10]

In 1992, Washington was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk Of Fame.^[11][12]

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.^[13][14] Washington's daughter Shana Washington, was in attendance to accept the honor. Jazz and R&B artist Jean Carn inducted Washington. James Brown, The Delfonics and Little Anthony & The Imperials were also inducted in the inaugural class.^[15][16]

• Grover Washington Jr. at Legacy Recordings Archived July 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
• Grover Washington TV Interview from C Music TV
• Jazz Conversations with Eric Jackson: Grover Washington Jr. from WGBH Radio Boston