We created Pandora to put the Music Genome Project directly in your hands
It’s a new kind of radio –
stations that play only music you like
Now Playing
Music Feed
My Profile
People who also like this
Dave Grusin
Dave Grusin has been a highly successful performer, producer, composer, record label executive, arranger, and bandleader. As a pianist, Grusin tends toward the fusion and smooth end of jazz, but he's primarily an accomplished film and television soundtrack composer. Grusin played with Terry Gibbs and Johnny Smith while studying at the University of Colorado. He was the assistant music director and pianist for Andy Williams from 1959 to 1966, and then started his television composing career. Grusin recorded with Benny Goodman in 1960, and with a hard bop trio which included Milt Hinton and Don Lamond in the early '60s. He also played and did a session with a quintet including Thad Jones and Frank Foster. Grusin did arrangements and recorded with Sarah Vaughan, Quincy Jones, and Carmen McRae in the early '70s. He played electric keyboards with Gerry Mulligan and Lee Ritenour in the mid-'70s, then helped to establish GRP Records out of a production company. GRP developed into one of the top contemporary jazz and fusion companies; they were later taken over by Arista, then by MCA. Grusin continued recording through the '80s and '90s, doing numerous projects, from fusion and pop to working with symphony orchestras. He has also conducted the GRP Big Band, scored such films as The Fabulous Baker Boys, and performed duet sessions with his brother, Don, and Ritenour. In addition to his numerous GRP releases, Grusin has also recorded for Columbia, Sheffield Lab, and Polygram. In 2011, he released the concert album and DVD An Evening with Dave Grusin, which featured him backed by the 75-piece Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra revisiting works from throughout his varied career. ~ Ron Wynn, Rovi
Comments
One of my greatest pleasures is to read the biographies Pandora supplies while immersed in the music of the respective artists. A rare exception to this is Ron Wynn’s biography of Dave Grusin. Wynn states, “His piano playing ranges from mildly challenging to competent to routine…”
Many music critics are either failed or wannabe musicians. What’s more, critics that prefer to write about jazz performers are likely to be “jazz snobs.” Like all jazz purists, they have difficulty taking non-jazz musicians seriously. In addition, they express contempt for jazz musicians who have achieved success by playing music accessible to a larger audience. They usually consider them commercial whores.
Ron Wynn freely admits (because its widely known) that Dave Grusin “has been a highly successful performer, producer, composer, record label executive, arranger, and bandleader.” Because Grusin has been extremely successful in so many areas, I believe Ron Wynn uses this fact to judge Grusin as “spread to thin” to be considered a first rate musician.
I can’t imagine anyone that wouldn’t readily agree that Dave Grusin is vastly more capable a musician than is Ron Wynn a writer. Perhaps that’s the best explanation for Wynn’s opinion of Grusin’s piano playing. Jealously is a common disease among critics.
and "Champ" is a very lovely song....
jr