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Jazz Articles about Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington Jr.: Sacred Kind of Love: The Columbia Recordings
by Jakob Baekgaard
When saxophonist and composer Grover Washington Jr. (1943-1999) arrived at Columbia in 1986, he was already a fully formed artist. He had released a string of strong albums and had even landed a regular smash-hit with “Just the Two Us," his collaboration with singer Bill Withers. In other words, Washington had nothing to prove and could just concentrate on playing great music. And so he did. The proof is in a five-disc set from SoulMusic Records, Sacred Kind of Love: ...
read moreGrover Washington, Jr.: Winelight (Hybrid SACD 5.1 Multichannel)
by Jeff Winbush
When Grover Washington, Jr. passed away in 1999 the jazz world lost one of its most successful and talented creators, and in his wake a slew of saxophonists have stepped up to fill the void. None have. jny: Philadelphia jazz deejay Bob Perkins said, of Washington, a native of the City of Brotherly Love, “He was the originator of smooth jazz, and all the rest--Najee, Kenny G--followed him." It is absolutely true that Washington was, along with George ...
read moreGrover Washington, Jr.: Mister Magic
by Trevor MacLaren
For anyone who enjoys taking bites from the now forbidden fruits of jazz, smooth jazz has probably crossed your palate once or twice. Just as rock music fans treat adult contemporary with certain disdain, so do jazz fans in regards to smooth. It is certainly easy to see why. The arrangements are flooded with lush pop undertones and probably even worse; the music lacks jazz's guttural attack. Smooth jazz self-destructed in a storm of cheesy synth and repetitive drum machine ...
read moreGrover Washington, Jr.: Soul Box
by C. Andrew Hovan
Jazz history is filled with the kind of stories that find yeoman musicians cutting their teeth under the tutelage of their elders. During the heydays of the '50s and '60s, the bandstand would also serve as a sort of “baptism under fire" for those eager to challenge the status quo and make their own stand for individuality. Along these lines, jny: Philadelphia saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. perked the ears of producer Creed Taylor during the production of Johnny Hammond Smith's ...
read moreJohnny Hammond: Breakout
by Jim Santella
The CTI jazz catalog holds many surprises. This one features a strong 8-piece band led by organist Johnny Hammond (1933-1997), who was known earlier as Johnny “Hammond" Smith. Recorded in 1971, the album emphasized swinging mood music with a flair for popular sounds. It marked a turning point in the career of Grover Washington, Jr. He, Hank Crawford and Eric Gale are all over the place, alongside Hammond's B-3. It’s a party. A previously unissued track, recorded shortly after the ...
read moreJohnny Hammond: Breakout
by David Rickert
A prime example of the CTI label’s indulgence in the commercial possibilities of jazz, Breakout gave Johnny Hammond the opportunity to escape from the long shadow cast by Jimmy Smith. Sticking with the Hammond B-3, by this time a bit old-fashioned as many had become enchanted with the Fender Rhodes, Hammond and his band contribute an album’s worth of soul jazz workouts. By this time, rock tunes had become the new would-be standards and Hammond proves that such unlikely candidates ...
read moreGrover Washington, Jr.: Next Exit
by AAJ Staff
Any Grover excursion is worth listening to and Next Exit is one of Grover's finer outings. From the Dave Brubeck “Take Five" opener featuring the golden background vocals of Fourever, he takes us on a mid tempo groove which has been covered by others but somehow this interpretation leaves you in no doubt that it's GWJ. “Your love" featuring Nancy Wilson is already a classic radio cut. It is a modern day classic and could compare to Carmen ...
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