Grover Washington Jr.

Grover Washington Jr.
Washington in 1995
Washington in 1995
Background information
Birth nameGrover Washington Jr.
Born(1943-12-12)December 12, 1943
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 17, 1999(1999-12-17) (aged 56)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Saxophone, flute
Years active1967–1999
LabelsKudu, Motown, Elektra, Columbia
SpouseChristine 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".

  1. ^ Yanow, Scott. "Grover Washington, Jr. - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  2. ^ "Grover Washington Grammy". www.grammy.com. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  3. ^ Richard J. Lawn (March 20, 2013). Experiencing Jazz. Routledge. p. 337. ISBN 9781135042691.