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Remembering Grover Washington, Jr. (1943-1999)
Born into a family with a strong musical inclination, his father was a saxophonist, and his mother sang gospel in the Church choir, the saxophonist, Grover Washington Jr, (Buffalo, December 12, 1943 – New York, December 17, 1999 , New York), he studied piano as a teenager and continued his training in rhythm and blues groups and organ trios of the sixties. His relationship with jazz began with organists, and especially with John Hammond, with whom he would record the album: “Breakout”, which opened the doors to fame for him.
After belonging to Billy Cobham’s group “Jazz Interactions”, he recorded with another organist, Charles Earland, and began as a leader in the recording studios with the album: “Inner City blues” recorded in 1971, for the jazz series of the legendary “Motown” label; a session originally scheduled for his teacher Hank Crawford. Although it was not until 1980 when he reached his maximum artistic expression with the album recorded for the Elektra label entitled: “Winelight”, an explicit fusion album that also earned a double Grammy Award.
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His influences were classic jazz saxophonists, although his style, based on a warm sound and melodic and vehement phrasing, sought support from obsessive rhythms that were easy to listen to and clearly danceable. He contributed to spreading, in his own way, certain features of jazz that musicians like Kenny Garrett also took advantage of less fortunately.
His progressive departure from the fields of jazz, to dedicate himself to a more commercial production, diminished his attention in specialized jazz circles and he was also forgotten by fans, who saw how his music was drifting towards something else.
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