Grover Washington Jr.

One of my favorite jazz musicians, Grover Washington Jr. was one of the first to embrace the jazz-funk style. Born in Buffalo, New York, he was given his first saxophone lesson by his father. In the early 1960s he moved to Philadelphia. His most successful album was "Winelight". Released in June 1980, it featured lead vocals by Bill Withers on the hit song "Just the Two of Us". The single reached #2 on the US music charts. Washington's most memorable performances included playing in a jazz and blues jam with President Bill Clinton and such jazz greats as Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis in 1993 and at Clinton's 50th birthday celebration at Radio City Music Hall in 1996. Washington described his music as "short stories without words." On December 17, 1999, Grover Washington Jr. collapsed NYC while taping an episode of CBS' Saturday Early Show (1997), and died a short time later. He was 56 years old.