Born: Jun 26, 1934 in Denver, C+O
Genres: Jazz
Styles: Original Score, Film Music, Crossover Jazz
Instruments: Executive Producer, Composer, Piano

Dave Grusin has been a highly successful performer, producer, composer, record label executive, arranger and bandleader. His piano playing ranges from mildly challenging to competent to routine, but he's an accomplished film and television soundtrack composer. Grusin played with Terry Gibbs and Johnny Smith while studying at the University of Colorado. He was assistant music director and pianist with Andy Williams from 1959 to 1966, and started his television composing career. Grusin recorded with Benny Goodman in 1960, and recorded with a hard bop trio that included Milt Hinton and Don Lamond in the early '60s. He also played and did a session with a quintet including Thad Jones and Frank Foster. Grusin did arrangements and recorded with Sarah Vaughan, Quincy Jones and Carmen McRae in the early '70s. He played electric keyboards with Gerry Mulligan and Lee Ritenour in the mid-70s, then helped establish GRP Records out of a production company. GRP developed into one of the top contemporary jazz and fusion companies; they were later taken over by Arista, then by MCA. Grusin continued recording through the '80s and '90s, doing numerous projects from fusion and pop to working with symphony orchestras. He's also conducted the GRP big band, continued scoring such films as The Fabulous Baker Boys, and doing duet sessions with his brother Don, and Ritenour. Besides his numerous GRP releases, Grusin's also recorded for Columbia, Sheffield Lab and Polygram.

- Ron Wynn (All Music Guide)