Dave Grusin Page (original) (raw)
b. Robert David Grusin, 26th June 1934, Littleton, Near Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Dave Grusin was born far from the streets of New York, in the small farm town of Littleton, Colorado just south of Denver.
His father Henri Grusin had also immigrated from Riga, Latvia around 1913.
He had married an American-born woman, Rosabelle.
The Grusin's settled in Littleton and raised three children, Dave's brother Don (also a well-known keyboardist) and a younger sister Dee.
Henri Grusin was a watchmaker and jeweler by trade, but he was also an accomplished violinist.
There was always music in the Grusin home and, although Dave had a very solid musical education before entering college, he dreamed of being a veterinarian.
In a number of interviews, he's explained that he switched to music out of the guilt he felt for the immense effort and expense his father had already spent on his musical education.
When Dave Grusin hit New York City in 1959 and enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music he was planning a career as a teacher.
A chance to join the Andy Williams Show as music conductor ended his plans for academia.
It was during his stint with Andy Williams that Dave Grusin met his future partner, Larry Rosen.
During this period Grusin managed to debut as an artist recording two jazz trio albums, 'Subways Are For Sleeping' and 'Piano, Strings and Moonlight.'
Grusin left Andy Williams in 1964 and looked to his new aspiration.
He wanted to write original music scores for motion pictures.
His first film assignment was 'Divorce American Style' and from there the work in motion pictures and for television snowballed.
Dave Grusin's career had taken off.
While developing his career as a film score composer, Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen began producing contemporary jazz records for various companies.
The two discovered and produced such artists as Earl Klugh, Angela Bofill, Tom Browne, Patti Austin, Lee Ritenour and others.
Through Grusin-Rosen Productions they were helping to redefine sophisticated contemporary jazz for a whole new generation. Their production company soon led to the creation of their own record company, GRP Records.
In Hollywood, Dave Crusin was composing important film scores including 'The Graduate', 'The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter', 'Three Days Of The Condor' , winning Academy Award nominations for 'Heaven Can Wait', (1979) 'The Champ', (1980) 'On Golden Pond', (1982) and 'Tootsie' (1983).
The small screen was also a part of Grusin's compositional efforts. His credits included 'Baretta', 'Roots (Part 11)', 'Good Times', 'The Name Of The Game', 'Dan August', 'It Takes A Thief' and his most popular piece, the theme from 'St. Elsewhere' , the long-running NBC Network Television series.
Dave Grusin also remained a dedicated pianist, performing on tour and with such albums as 'Mountain Dance,' 'Out Of The Shadows,' and 'Harlequin' with Lee Ritenour.
It was 'Mountain Dance', produced in 1979 as a full digital recording that convinced Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen that this was indeed the new sound recording technology of the future.
This digital philosophy became the cornerstone of their new record company.
'Mountain Dance' featured the old Ronnie Laws / David Oliver tune 'Friends And Strangers', featured on deejay Robbie Vincents Radio London Shows of the late seventies / early eighties.
Meanwhile, back in Hollywood, Dave Grusin captured his first Oscar for 'The Milagro Beanfield War' (1988) and won nominations again for 'The Fabulous Baker Boys' (1989) and 'Havana' (1990).
Besides his numerous GRP releases, Grusin's also recorded for Columbia, Sheffield Lab and Polygram.
Albums:
Subways Are for Sleeping (Epic Records 1961)
Kaleidoscope (Sony Records 1964)
Discovered Again (Sheffield Lab Records 1977)
One of a Kind (GRP Records 1977)
Mountain Dance (GRP Records 1979)
Out of the Shadows (GRP Records 1982)
Night-Lines (GRP Records 1983)
And the NY-LA Dream Band (GRP Records 1984)
Harlequin (GRP Records 1985)
Live in Japan (GRP Records 1988)
Sticks and Stones (GRP Records 1988)
Zephyr (GRP Records 1988)
The Fabulous Baker Boys (GRP Records 1989)
Migration (GRP Records 1989)
Bonfire of the Vanities (Atlantic Records 1990)
The Gershwin Connection (GRP Records 1991)
Dave Grusin Presents GRP All-Star Big Band:... [live] (GRP Records 1993)
Homage to Duke (GRP Records 1993)
The Orchestral Album (GRP Records 1994)
Cure [Original Soundtrack] (GRP Records 1995)
Two for the Road: The Music of Henry Mancini (GRP Records 1996)
3 Days of the Condor (Intermezzo Records 1997)
Presents: West Side Story (Digital Sound Records 1997)
Two Worlds (Decca Records 2000)