The Very Best Of Dave Grusin

Performer: Dave Grusin
Artist: Paul Winter; Ralph MacDonald; Paulinho Da Costa; Ron Carter; Gary Burton; Branford Marsalis; Tom Scott
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Dave Grusin (arranger, conductor, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, Mini-Moog synthesizer, synthesizer, percussion, programming); Grover Washington, Jr., Branford Marsalis (soprano saxophone); Eric Marienthal (alto saxophone); Tom Scott (saxophone); Sal Marquez, Gary Grant (trumpet); David Duke, Brian O'Connor, Rick Todd (French horn); Andrew Martin (trombone); Steve Kujala, Ronnie Lang (flute); John Lowe (bass clarinet); Tollak Ollestad (harmonica); Paul Gershman, Noel Pointer, Paul Winter, David Davis (strings); Gary Burton (vibraphone); Lee Ritenour, Russell Malone (guitar); Ron Carter (acoustic bass); Marcus Miller (bass); Steve Gadd (drums); Ralph MacDonald, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion). Producers: Dave Grusin, Larry Rosen, Lee Ritrnour, Tommy LiPuma. Compilation producers: Dave Grusin, Larry Rosen. Recorded between 1977 & 1997. Includes liner notes by Larry Rosen. Personnel: Dave Grusin (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, synthesizer, mini-Moog synthesizer, percussion, drum programming); Lee Ritenour , Russell Malone (guitar); Theodore Israel, Marvin Morgenstern, Lewis Eley, David Davis, Peter Dimitriades, Ralph Oxman, Noel Pointer, Paul Winter Consort, Seymour Barab, Regis Iandiorio, Richard Maximoff, Max Hollander, Paul Gershman (strings); Steve Kujala (flute, alto flute); Ronnie Lang (flute); Tollak Ollestad (harmonica); Eric Marienthal (saxophone, alto saxophone); Dan Higgins, Tom Scott (saxophone); Grover Washington, Jr., Branford Marsalis (soprano saxophone); Gary Grant, Sal Marquez (trumpet); David Duke, Rick Todd, Brian O'Connor (French horn); Andrew Martin (trombone); Gary Burton (vibraphone); Ron Carter (acoustic bass); Francisco Centeno (electric bass); Dave Weckl, Harvey Mason, Sr. , Omar Hakim, Steve Gadd , Carlos Vega (drums); Michael Fisher, Paulinho Da Costa, Ralph MacDonald, Rubens Bassini (percussion); Daniel Elliott (background vocals). Liner Note Author: Larry Rosen. Recording information: A&R Studios, New York, NY (1977-1997); Avatar Studios, New York, NY (1977-1997); Clinton Recording Studios, New York, NY (1977-1997); Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY (1977-1997); Ocean Way Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA (1977-1997); Record Plant, Hollywood, CA (1977-1997); Review Room, New York, NY (1977-1997); River Sound, New York, NY (1977-1997); Schnee Studio, North Hollywood, CA (1977-1997); Starlight Studio, Burbank, CA (1977-1997); Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA (1977-1997). Photographers: Carol Weinberg; Eric Dinyer; Mark Hanauer. Arrangers: Dave Grusin; Lee Ritenour . Except for the unfortunate oversight of any of the spectacular material from Grusin's soundtrack to The Fabulous Baker Boys, this 11-track compilation is a strong addition to GRP's new collector's series featuring many of its classic artists. Grusin, of course, has the unique distinction of having owned the label and has been part of its establishment as a modern jazz powerhouse. The songs cover the 20-year period from 1977 through 1997, from the time just before he and Larry Rosen formed the company through Grusin's lush homage to chief influence Henry Mancini (represented here by the marching beat and brassy humor of "Baby Elephant Walk" and the boogie-woogie twist on "The Peter Gunn Theme"). When Grusin and Rosen compiled and sequenced this collection, they were more interested in finding outstanding representative tracks than simply spotlighting Grusin's best compositions. That's somewhat curious, since Grusin is legendary as both a jazz and film composer, but two of his best-received projects were The Gershwin Connection and Homage to Duke, so the Gershwin boys and Ellington's songs are an essential part of the mix. Grusin-written classics include the mystical and exotic synth exercise "Bossa Baroque" and the still spry "Early A.M. Attitude" from Harlequin, his Grammy-winning collaboration with Lee Ritenour. ~ Jonathan Widran

A dizzyingly eclectic jazz/pop piano player, producer, and arranger, Dave Grusin has lent his skills to artists as diverse as Art Pepper, Benny Goodman, and Billy Joel, and has written music prolifically for film and television. But Grusin's biggest mark on musical history is in his role as co-founder of GRP Records, a mid-1970s start-up that provided a home to the burgeoning jazz fusion scene. Grusin nurtured the careers of Chick Corea, Lee Ritenour, Gary Burton, and many others. The GRP "sound," which Grusin was responsible for imbuing in all its releases, relied on crystal clear digital production that captured the harmonic subtleties and rock-like rhythms of jazz fusion.

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