Winelight Grover Washington Jr.

• 1 Winelight 07:34
• 2 Let It Flow (For Dr. J) 05:54
• 3 In The Name Of Love 05:29
• 4 Take Me There 06:18
• 5 Just The Two Of Us 07:26
• 6 Make Me A Memory (Sad Samba) 06:31
• Total Runtime 39:12

Info for Winelight

Winelight is a smooth, well produced groove, that flows together nicely. It is an album good for waking up to on a Sunday morning, or playing while enjoying a bottle of wine late Saturday night. The songs feature enough tempo changes to keep things interesting, and Grover extends several of his solos, often playing beyond the context of the song. Ralph MacDonald’s percussion is particularly effective throughout the album.

Sadly, Grover Washington, Jr. died of a heart attack on December 17th, 1999, at the age of 56. Much of what he played was considered to be in a smooth jazz, or R&B jazz style, rather than a more traditional jazz style. Such was his talent, however, that he earned the respect of his peers within the jazz community. Unlike certain other players, who patterned their styles after Washington, there is no Grover Washington Jr. backlash, no plethora of negative reviews, no jokes about him. Grover Washington, Jr. was a talented musician who released a respected body of work, and he is missed.

The platinum-selling album is packed with well-executed smooth jazz compositions and the GRAMMY® Award-winning hit “Just The Two Of Us,” featuring Bill Withers. The album also won the GRAMMY® for Best Jazz Fusion Performance.

Grover Washington, Jr., saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor)
Bill Withers, vocals
Eric Gale, guitar
Richard Tee, piano & Fender Rhodes
Paul Griffin, piano & keyboards
Steve Gadd, drum
Marcus Miller, bass
Ralph MacDonald, congas, percussion, e-drums
Robert Greenidge, steel drums
Ed Walsh, synthesizer
Bill Eaton, synthesizer
Raymond Chew, clavinet
Hilda Harris, backing vocals
Ullanda McCullough, backing vocals
Yvonne Lewis, backing vocals

Engineered by Richard Alderson
Mastered by Vladimir Meller
Produced by Grover Washington, Jr. and Ralph MacDonald

Recorded at Rosebud Recording Studio, June & July - 1980. Mastered at CBS Studios, NY.

Digitally remastered.

Grover Washington, Jr. began playing professionally at age 12, just two years after receiving his first saxophone. Performing in clubs in his native Buffalo, NY., Washington would play mainly R&B and blues. After touring briefly with a band known as The Four Clefs, Washington was drafted into the United States Army, where he played in an Army band with legendary drummer Billy Cobham.

After leaving the Army, Grover Washington, Jr. found work as a session musician for the Prestige label, playing on recordings such as Johnny Hammond’s Breakout. After a Prestige artist, Hank Crawford, failed to make a recording session, Grover was picked as his replacement, resulting in Washington’s 1971 debut, Inner City Blues. Washington continued to hone his sound during the 1970’s, releasing well-received albums such as 1974’s Mister Magic.

It was in 1980, however, on Elektra Records, that Washington released a monster of an album, Winelight. With an all-star cast, including heavyweights such as Marcus Miller (bass,) Ralph MacDonald (percussion,) Eric Gale (guitar,) and Steve Gadd (drums,) Winelight is smooth, seductive, polished, R&B-influenced Jazz. The result of the album made Washington a star, earning him two GRAMMY awards, Best Jazz Fusion Recording and Best R&B Song for Just the Two of Us.

This album contains no booklet.