Dave Grusin
Dave Grusin | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Robert David Grusin |
Born | Littleton, Colorado, U.S. | June 26, 1934
Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion, contemporary jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, producer |
Instrument(s) | Piano, keyboards |
Years active | 1962–present |
Labels | GRP |
Robert David "Dave" Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, and pianist. He has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy Award and ten Grammy Awards. Grusin is also the co-founder of GRP Records.
Early life
Grusin was born in Littleton, Colorado, to Henri and Rosabelle (née de Poyster) Grusin. His mother was a pianist and his father was a violinist from Riga, Latvia.[1][2] Grusin has one Jewish parent.[3]
Grusin studied music at the University of Colorado at Boulder and received his degree in 1956.[4] Grusin's teachers included Cecil Effinger and Wayne Scott, pianist, arranger and professor of jazz.[5]
Career
Grusin produced his first single in 1962, "Subways Are for Sleeping", and his first film score, for Divorce American Style, in 1967. Other scores followed, including The Graduate (1967), Winning (1969), The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), The Midnight Man (1974), and Three Days of the Condor (1975).[4]
In 1978, Grusin founded GRP Records with his business partner, Larry Rosen, and began to produce some of the first commercial digital recordings. Grusin was the composer for On Golden Pond (1981), Tootsie (1982), and The Goonies (1985). In 1988, he won the Oscar for best original score, for The Milagro Beanfield War. Grusin composed the musical signatures for the 1984 TriStar Pictures logo and the 1993 Columbia Pictures Television logo.[6]
In 1998, Grusin ranked No. 5 and No. 8 on Billboard's Top 10 Jazz Artists, at mid-year and at year's end, respectively, based on sales of his album, "Dave Grusin Presents West Side Story."[7][8]
From 2000-11, Grusin concentrated on composing classical and jazz compositions, touring and recording with collaborators, including jazz singer and lyricist Lorraine Feather[9] and guitarist Lee Ritenour. Their album Harlequin won a Grammy Award in 1985. Their classical crossover albums, Two Worlds and Amparo, were nominated for Grammys.[10][11]
Grusin has a filmography of about 100 titles. His many awards include an Oscar for best original score for The Milagro Beanfield War, as well as Oscar nominations for The Champ, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Firm, Havana, Heaven Can Wait, and On Golden Pond.[12] He received a Best Original Song nomination for "It Might Be You" from the film Tootsie. Six of the fourteen cuts on the soundtrack from The Graduate are his. Other film scores Grusin has composed include Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?, Three Days of the Condor, The Goonies, Tequila Sunrise, Hope Floats, Random Hearts, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Mulholland Falls and The Firm. He composed the original opening fanfare for film studio TriStar Pictures.[13]
Grusin composed theme music for the TV programs Good Morning World (American TV series) (1967), It Takes a Thief (1968), The Name of the Game (1968), Dan August (1970), The Sandy Duncan Show (1971–72), Maude (1972), Good Times (1974), Baretta (1975), Alice (1976), St. Elsewhere (1982), and, for Televisa in Mexico, Tres Generaciones (1987). He composed music for individual episodes of each of those shows. Grusin's other TV credits include The Wild Wild West (1966), The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1966), and Columbo: Prescription: Murder (1968). He composed and performed the theme song for One Life to Live (1968) during the 1984/1985 seasons.[14] Grusin wrote the music for the This Is America, Charlie Brown episode "The Smithsonian and the Presidency", and two of the cues from the episode "History Lesson" and "Breadline Blues" (the latter covered by Kenny G) appear on the tribute album Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown.
In 1994, GRP was in charge of MCA's jazz operations. Founders Grusin and Rosen left in 1995 and were replaced by Tommy LiPuma. In 1997, Grusin and Rosen founded N2K Encoded Music, which was renamed N-Coded Music.[15]
Grusin received honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music in 1988 and University of Colorado, College of Music in 1989. Grusin was initiated into the Beta Chi Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at the University of Colorado in 1991.[16]
Personal Life
Dave Grusin has been married to Nan Newton for many years and has three adult children, Scott Grusin, Michael Grusin, and Stuart Grusin. He is also the stepfather of Nan's adult daughter, Annie Vought. Grusin is the subject of a 2018 feature-length documentary entitled “Dave Grusin: Not Enough Time.”[17]
Awards and honors
Academy Awards
- Award, Best Original Score, The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)
- Nomination, Best Original Score: Heaven Can Wait (1978), The Champ (1979), On Golden Pond (1981), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Havana (1990), The Firm (1993)
- Nomination, Best Original Song: "It Might Be You" (1982)[18]
Grammy Awards
- Award, Best Arrangement on an Instrumental: "Early A.M. Attitude" (1986), "Suite" for The Milagro Beanfield War (1990), "Bess You Is My Woman/I Loves You Porgy" (1991), "Mood Indigo" (1993), "Three Cowboy Songs" (1994)[18]
- Award, Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals: "My Funny Valentine" by Michelle Pfeiffer (1989), "Mean Old Man" by James Taylor (2002)[18]
- Award, Best Album Original Score Written for Motion Picture or Television: The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)
- Nomination, Best Original Score: Selena[18]
Golden Globe Awards
- Nomination, Best Original Score: The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Havana (1990), For the Boys (1991)[18]
Other
- Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, 1991
- AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores (Best American Film Scores of all Time voted by the American Film Institute): #24 for On Golden Pond
Discography
As leader
- Subways Are for Sleeping (Epic, 1962)
- Piano, Strings, and Moonlight (Epic, 1962)[19]
- Kaleidoscope (Columbia, 1964)
- Divorce American Style (United Artists, 1967) – soundtrack
- The Graduate (Columbia, 1968) – soundtrack recorded in 1967
- The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (Film Score Monthly, 1968) - soundtrack
- The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1968 - 1970) – TV series
- Candy (Epic, 1969) – soundtrack
- Three Days of the Condor (DRG/EMI, 1975) – soundtrack
- Discovered Again! (Sheffield Lab, 1976)
- Don't Touch (Versatile, 1977)
- One of a Kind (GRP, 1977)
- Heaven Can Wait (Kritzerland, 1978) - soundtrack
- The Champ (Varèse Sarabande, 1979) – soundtrack
- Mountain Dance (GRP, 1979) - AUS #100[20]
- The Electric Horseman (Varèse Sarabande, 1979) – soundtrack
- Dave Grusin Presents GRP All-Stars Live in Japan (JVC, 1980)
- On Golden Pond (Varèse Sarabande, 1981) - soundtrack
- Out of the Shadows (Arista-GRP, 1982)
- Tootsie (Film Score Monthly, 1982) - soundtrack
- Night-Lines (GRP, 1983)
- Dave Grusin and the NY-LA Dream Band (GRP, 1984)
- Racing with the Moon (Kritzerland, 1984) - soundtrack
- The Pope of Greenwich Village (Quartet Records, 1984) - soundtrack
- Harlequin with Lee Ritenour (GRP, 1985)
- The Goonies (Varèse Sarabande, 1985) - soundtrack
- Lucas (Varèse Sarabande, 1986)
- Cinemagic (GRP, 1987)
- GRP Live in Session (GRP, 1988)
- Sticks and Stones (with Don Grusin) (GRP, 1988)
- Migration (GRP, 1989)
- The Fabulous Baker Boys (GRP, 1989)
- A Dry White Season (Kritzerland, 1989) - soundtrack
- The Bonfire of the Vanities (Atlantic, 1990)
- Havana (GRP, 1990)
- The Gershwin Connection (GRP, 1991)
- GRP Super Live in Concert (GRP, 1992)
- Homage to Duke (GRP <GRD-9715>, 1993)
- The Firm (MCA-GRP <MGD-2007>, 1993)
- Dave Grusin Presents GRP All-Star Big Band Live! (GRP 97402, 1993)
- The Orchestral Album (GRP, 1994)
- The Cure (GRP, 1995)
- Two for the Road (GRP, 1996)
- Mulholland Falls (Cinerama, 1996) - soundtrack
- Selena (Angel, 1997)
- West Side Story (N-Coded, 1997)
- Hope Floats (RCA Victor, 1998) - soundtrack
- Random Hearts (Sony, 1999)
- Two Worlds with Lee Ritenour (Decca, 2000)
- Dinner with Friends (Jellybean, 2001)
- Now Playing (GRP, 2004)
- Amparo (Decca, 2008)
- The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (Varèse Sarabande, 2008)
- An Evening with Dave Grusin (Heads Up, 2010)
- One Night Only! (C.A.R.E./Intergroove, 2011)[21]
As sideman
With Patti Austin
With the Brothers Johnson
With Tom Browne
With Don Grusin
With Quincy Jones
With John Klemmer
With Earl Klugh
With Jon Lucien
With Harvey Mason
With Carmen McRae
With Sergio Mendes
With Lee Ritenour
With James Taylor
With Dave Valentin
With Sadao Watanabe
|
With others
|
Filmography
See also
References
- ^ "Dave Grusin Page" (PDF). Soul Walking. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Dave Grusin Biography". Film Reference. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ Lees, Gene. "The Jewish Contribution" (PDF). World Radio History. Retrieved September 26, 2022. High Fidelity, vol. 27 (1977), n° 7, p. 27.
- ^ a b "The Dave Grusin manuscripts An inventory of holdings at the American Music Research Center" (PDF). American Music Research Center. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "Cecil Effinger Interview with Bruce Duffie". Bruce Duffie. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen. Behind the scenes, they're ahead of their times". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 42. October 20, 1979.
- ^ "Year-to-Date Jazz Charts". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 26. June 27, 1998. p. 44.
- ^ "The Year In Music 1998". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 52. p. YE79.
- ^ Kaufman, Joanne (March 2, 2018). "When Your Home Has a History". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ Daniels, Melissa (June 20, 2008). "Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin to Return with 'Amparo'". JazzTimes. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ Soergel, Brian (October 1, 2008). "Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin: Amparo". JazzTimes. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ On Golden Pond (Main Theme) Sheet Music. October 1986. ISBN 978-1-4950-4316-1.
- ^ "Tri-Star Logo Theme by Dave Grusin - Most Popular Songs". Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "One Life To Live". Daytime Soap Opera Theme Songs and Main Titles. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ "The Dave Grusin manuscripts An inventory of holdings at the American Music Research Center" (PDF). American Music Research Center. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "Charles E. Lutton Man of Music". Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ Bentree, Barbara (Director). "Dave Grusin: Not Enough Time". jindojazz. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Dave Grusin". Grammys. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "The Key is Versatility". Billboard. Vol. 74, no. 48. December 1, 1962. p. 47.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 130. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Dave Grusin | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "Dave Grusin | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
External links
- Dave Grusin at IMDb
- Music video sampler: Mountain Dance on YouTube
- Dave Grusin on Sound of Cinema, interviewed by Matthew Sweet. BBC Radio, 21 November 2020
- Performances of Dave Grusin's piano music
- 1934 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American composers
- 20th-century American conductors (music)
- 20th-century American Jews
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 20th-century American pianists
- 21st-century American composers
- 21st-century American conductors (music)
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American pianists
- American film score composers
- American jazz pianists
- American male conductors (music)
- American male film score composers
- American male jazz musicians
- American male pianists
- American male songwriters
- American music arrangers
- American people of Jewish descent
- American people of Latvian descent
- American television composers
- Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners
- Epic Records artists
- Grammy Award winners
- GRP All-Star Big Band members
- GRP Records artists
- Jazz musicians from Colorado
- Jewish American film score composers
- Jewish American television composers
- Male television composers
- People from Littleton, Colorado
- Smooth jazz pianists
- Songwriters from Colorado
- University of Colorado alumni