Grover Washington Jr.

Grover Washington Jr. Worked between 1943 and 1999 across composer, saxophonist, jazz musician, recording artist and musician. The registers place that work in jazz. This article rests on 97 catalogued compositions, 1 published texts, 85 issued recordings, 1 digitised documents and 19 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Birth Name — Grover Washington Jr. • Born — 12 December 1943 • Birthplace — Buffalo, New York, U.S. • Died — 17 December 1999 • Place of death — New York City, U.S. • Instrument — * Saxophone • flute • keyboards • Genre — * Soul jazz • jazz-funk • R&B • smooth jazz • Occupation — Musician • Years Active — 1967–1999 • Label — * Kudu • Motown • Elektra • Columbia • Past Member Of — The Blackout All-Stars • Spouse — Christine Washington

Washington was born in Buffalo, New York, on December 12, 1943. His mother was a church chorister, and his father was a collector of old jazz gramophone records and played the saxophone. He grew up listening to the great jazzmen and big band leaders like Benny Goodman and Fletcher Henderson. At the age of 8, Grover Sr. gave Jr. a saxophone. In addition to regular practice, Grover Jr. would sneak into clubs to see famous Buffalo blues 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 organist who mastered the Hammond B3 organ. Washington 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. 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 breakthrough occurred when alto saxophonist Hank Crawford was unable to make a recording date with Creed Taylor's Kudu Records, 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.

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 No. 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 (No. 54, pop). All these albums included guitarist Eric Gale 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, 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. The album went platinum in 1981, and also won a Grammy Award 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 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.

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 major heart attack. He is interred at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

Equipment • Instrument — Brand/Model — Mouthpiece — Reed • Soprano Saxophone — H. Couf Superba I, black nickel plated — Runyon Custom No. 8 — Rico Royal No. 5 • Alto Saxophone — Selmer Mark VI — New York Meyer U.S.A. 7MM — Rico Royal No. 5 • Tenor Saxophone — H. Couf Superba I, gold plated — Berg Larsen Hard Rubber 130/0 — Rico Royal No. 5 (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.)

• Year — Album — Peak chart positions — Certifications • US 200 — US R&B — US Jazz — AUS — UK • 1972 — Inner City Blues — 62 — 8 — 4 — — — — • All the King's Horses — 111 — 20 — 1 — — — — • 1973 — Soul Box — 100 — 26 — 1 — — — — • 1975 — Mister Magic — 10 — 1 — 1 — — — — • Feels So Good — 10 — 1 — 1 — — — — • 1976 — A Secret Place — 31 — 7 — 1 — — — — • 1977 — Live at The Bijou — 11 — 4 — 1 — — — — • 1978 — Reed Seed — 35 — 7 — 1 — — — — • 1979 — Paradise — 24 — 15 — 2 — — — — • 1980 — Skylarkin — 24 — 8 — 1 — — — — • Winelight — 5 — 2 — 1 — 35 — 34 — * BPI: Silver • 1981 — Come Morning — 28 — — — 1 — — — 98 • Baddest — 96 — 40 — 5 — — — — • Anthology — 149 — 44 — 11 — — — — • 1982 — The Best Is Yet to Come — 50 — 8 — 1 — 100 — — • 1984 — Inside Moves — 79 — 21 — 3 — — — — • 1986 — A House Full of Love — 125 — 52 — 25 — — — — • 1987 — Strawberry Moon — 66 — 29 — — — 100 — — • 1988 — Then and Now — — — — — 2 — — — — • 1989 — Time Out of Mind — — — 60 — 1 — — — — • 1992 — Next Exit — 149 — 26 — 1 — — — — • 1994 — All My Tomorrows — — — — — 2 — — — — • 1996 — Soulful Strut — 187 — 45 — 2 — — — — • 1997 — Breath of Heaven: A Holiday Collection — — — — — 7 — — — — • 2000 — Aria — — — — — — — — — — • Anything marked with a – does not have a rating.

With Eddie Henderson • Inspiration (Milestone, 1995) – rec. 1994 • Tribute to Lee Morgan (NYC Music, 1995) With Boogaloo Joe Jones • No Way! (Prestige, 1971) – rec. 1970 • What It Is (Prestige, 1971) With Johnny "Hammond" Smith • What's Going On (Prestige, 1971) • Breakout (Kudu, 1971) • Wild Horses Rock Steady (Kudu, 1972) – rec. 1971 With Leon Spencer • Sneak Preview! (Prestige, 1971) – rec. 1970 • Louisiana Slim (Prestige, 1971) With others • Kathleen Battle, So Many Stars (Sony, 1995) • Kenny Burrell, Togethering (Blue Note, 1985) – recorded in 1984 • Hank Crawford, Help Me Make it Through the Night (Kudu, 1972) • Charles Earland, Living Black! (Prestige, 1971) – live recorded in 1970 • Dexter Gordon, American Classic (Elektra Musician, 1982) • Urbie Green, Señor Blues (CTI, 1977) • Masaru Imada, Blue Marine (Trio, 1982) • The Mark III Trio, Let's Ska at the Ski Lodge (Downhill, 1964) • Idris Muhammad, Power of Soul (Kudu, 1974) • Gerry Mulligan, Dragonfly (Telarc Jazz, 1995) • Don Sebesky, Giant Box (CTI, 1973) • Lonnie Smith, Mama Wailer (Kudu, 1971) • Melvin Sparks, Spark Plug (Prestige, 1971) • Urban Knights, Urban Knights I (GRP, 1995) • Mal Waldron, My Dear Family (Evidence, 1993) • Randy Weston, Blue Moses (CTI, 1972) • Bill Withers, Just the Two of Us (Columbia, 1981)

• Year — Single — Peak chart positions — Certifications • US Pop — US R&B — UK • 1971 — "Inner City Blues" — — — 42 — — • 1972 — "Mercy Mercy Me" — — — — — — • "No Tears in the End" — — — 49 — — • 1973 — "Masterpiece" — — — — — — • 1975 — "Mister Magic" — 54 — 16 — — • 1976 — "Knucklehead" — — — — — — • 1977 — "Summer Song" — — — 57 — — • 1978 — "Do Dat" — — — 75 — — • 1979 — "Tell Me About It Now" — — — 57 — — • 1980 — "Snake Eyes" — — — 88 — — • "Winelight" — — — — — — • 1981 — "Just the Two of Us" — 2 — 3 — 34 — * BPI: Platinum • 1982 — "Be Mine (Tonight)" — 92 — 13 — — • "Jamming" — — — 65 — — • 1983 — "The Best Is Yet to Come" — — — 14 — — • 1984 — "Inside Moves" — — — 79 — — • 1987 — "Summer Nights" — — — 35 — — • 1989 — "Jamaica" — — — — — — • 1990 — "Sacred Kind of Love" — — — 21 — — • 1992 — "Love Like This" — — — 31 — — • "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Grover Washington Jr. Is recorded with the occupation recording artist. Recorded with the occupation jazz musician. Classed in the genre jazz. Established in Bibliothèque nationale de France under 13901022p. Established in Library of Congress under n87812945. Recorded as composer, saxophonist and musician. Established in Discogs under 236212. Established in FAST under 1801751.