Grover Washington Jr. ungumdlali we-saxophonist waseMelika owaduma kakhulu ngo-1967-1999. NgokukaRobert Palmer (wephephabhuku i-Rolling Stone), lo mdlali wakwazi ukuba "i-saxophonist eyaziwa kakhulu esebenza ohlotsheni lwe-jazz fusion."
Nakuba abagxeki abaningi besola i-Washington ngokuthi igxile kwezohwebo, abalaleli babethanda izingoma zabo ezipholile futhi ezifundisayo ngokuthinta i-funk yasemadolobheni.
UGrover ubelokhu ezungeza abaculi abanekhono, ngenxa yabo akhiphe ama-albhamu nezingoma eziphumelelayo. Ukusebenzelana Okukhumbuleka Kakhulu: Sibabili Nje (noBill Withers), Uhlobo Olungcwele Lothando (noPhyllis Hyman), Okungcono Kakhulu Kusazofika (noPatti LaBelle). Izingoma ezicula yedwa nazo zazidume kakhulu: I-Winelight, i-Mister Magic, i-Inner City Blues, njll.
Ubuntwana nobusha uGrover Washington Jr.
UGrover Washington wazalwa ngoDisemba 12, 1943 eBuffalo, eNew York phakathi neMpi Yezwe II. Wonke umuntu emndenini wakhe wayengumculi: unina wayecula ekwayeni yesonto; umzalwane wasebenza ekwayeni yesonto njengomculi we-ogani; ubaba wayedlala i-tenor saxophone ngokomsebenzi. Ukuthatha isibonelo kubazali babo, umculi nomfowabo omncane baqala ukwenza umculo. UGrover wanquma ukulandela ezinyathelweni zikayise futhi wathatha i-saxophone. Umzalwane waba nesithakazelo ekudlaleni izigubhu futhi kamuva waba umshayi wezigubhu okhokhelwayo.
Encwadini ethi Jazz-Rock Fusion (uJulian Coryell noLaura Friedman) kunomugqa lapho umdlali we-saxophonist ekhumbula khona ngobuntwana bakhe:
“Ngaqala ukudlala izinsimbi cishe ngineminyaka engu-10 ubudala. Uthando lwami lokuqala ngokungangabazeki kwakuwumculo wakudala… Isifundo sami sokuqala kwakuyi-saxophone, ngase ngizama upiyano, izigubhu kanye nebhesi.”
UWashington wafunda eWurlitzer School of Music. UGrover wayezithanda kakhulu izinsimbi. Ngakho-ke, wanikela cishe sonke isikhathi sakhe samahhala kubo ukuze afunde ukudlala okungenani ezingeni eliyisisekelo.
I-saxophone yokuqala yethulwa nguyise lapho umculi eneminyaka engu-10 ubudala. Kakade lapho ngineminyaka engu-12, Washington waqala ukuzibandakanya sina ukudlala saxophone. Ngezinye izikhathi kusihlwa wayebaleka ekhaya aye ezindaweni zokuzijabulisa eyobona abaculi abadumile be-blues eBuffalo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umfana wayethanda basketball. Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi ukuphakama kwakhe kwakunganele kulo mdlalo, wanquma ukuxhuma impilo yakhe nemisebenzi yomculo.
Ekuqaleni, uGrover wadlala kuphela emakhonsathini esikoleni futhi iminyaka emibili wayeyi-baritone saxophonist ku-orchestra yesikole sedolobha. Ngezikhathi ezithile, wayefunda izingoma nomculi odumile waseBuffalo u-Elvis Shepard. UWashington waphothula esikoleni esiphakeme eneminyaka engu-16 futhi wanquma ukusuka edolobheni lakubo eColumbus, e-Ohio. Lapho, wajoyina i-Four Clefs, eyaqala umsebenzi wakhe womculo okhokhelwayo.
Wathuthuka kanjani umsebenzi kaGrover Washington Jr.?
UGrover wahambela amazwe namaFour Clefs, kodwa ibhendi yahlakazeka ngo-1963. Isikhathi esithile, umculi wadlala eqenjini likaMark III Trio. Ngenxa yokuthi iWashington ayizange ifunde ndawo, ngo-1965 wathola amasamanisi e-US Army. Lapho wayedlala eqenjini le-orchestra yesikhulu. Ngesikhathi sakhe sokuphumula, wadlala ePhiladelphia, esebenza nama-organ ahlukene namabhendi e-rock. Embuthweni wamasosha, umculi we-saxophonist wahlangana nesigubhu uBilly Cobham. Ngemva kwenkonzo, wamsiza ukuba abe yingxenye yendawo yomculo eNew York.
Izindaba zaseWashington zaba ngcono - wenza emaqenjini ahlukahlukene omculo, kuhlanganise noCharles Erland, aqopha izingoma ezihlangene nabadlali abadumile (uMelvin Sparks, uJohnny Hammond, njll.). I-albhamu yokuqala kaGrover ethi Inner City Blues yakhululwa ngo-1971 futhi yaba yingoma esheshayo. Okurekhodiwe ekuqaleni bekumele kube okuka-Hank Crawford. Umdidiyeli othanda ukuhweba u-Creed Taylor umhlanganisele isethi yamaculo e-pop-funk. Nokho, umculi waboshwa, futhi akakwazanga ukucula. UTaylor wabe esebiza uGrover ukuthi aqophe futhi wakhulula irekhodi ngaphansi kwegama lakhe.
UWashington wake wavuma kwabaxoxisana naye, "Ikhefu lami elikhulu laliyinhlanhla eyimpumputhe." Nokho, wajabulela ukuthandwa okukhulu ngenxa ye-albhamu ethi Mister Magic. Ngemva kokukhululwa kwakhe, umculi we-saxophonist waqala ukumenywa emicimbini engcono kakhulu yezwe, wadlala nabaculi abakhulu be-jazz. Ngo-1980, umculi wakhulula irekhodi lakhe lehlelo, ngenxa yokuthi wathola imiklomelo emibili ye-Grammy. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uGrover waklonyeliswa ngesihloko esithi "Best Instrumental Performer".
Phakathi nokuphila kwakhe, umculi angakhipha ama-albhamu angu-2-3 ngonyaka owodwa. Kuphela phakathi kuka-1980 no-1999 Amarekhodi ayi-10 akhishiwe. Okungcono kakhulu, ngokusho kwabagxeki, kwakuwumsebenzi kaSoulful Strut (1996). U-Leo Stanley wabhala ngaye, "Amakhono okudlala e-Washington aphinde adlula ubuhlakani, okwenza i-Soulful Strut ibe elinye irekhodi elifanelekayo labo bonke abalandeli be-soul jazz." Ngemva kokushona komculi ngo-2000, abangani bakhe bakhipha i-albhamu ethi Aria.
Isitayela somculo sikaGrover Washington Jr.
Umculi we-saxophonist odumile wakha lokho okubizwa nge-"jazz-pop" ("jazz-rock-fusion") isitayela somculo. Iqukethe ukuthuthukiswa kwe-jazz kubhithi ye-bouncy noma ye-rock. Isikhathi esiningi iWashington yayithonywe abaculi be-jazz abafana noJohn Coltrane, uJoe Henderson no-Oliver Nelson. Noma kunjalo, umkaGrover wakwazi ukumthakasela emculweni we-pop.
"Ngameluleka ukuthi alalele umculo we-pop owengeziwe," kusho uChristina etshela iphephabhuku iRolling Stone. "Inhloso yakhe kwakuwukudlala i-jazz, kodwa waqala ukulalela izinhlobo ezahlukene zomculo futhi ngesinye isikhathi wangitshela ukuthi ufuna ukudlala lokho akuzwayo ngaphandle kokulebula." UWashington wayeka ukuzikhawulela kunoma yiziphi izinkolelo namasiko, waqala ukudlala umculo wesimanje, "ngaphandle kokukhathazeka ngezitayela nezikole."
Abagxeki babephikisana ngomculo waseWashington. Abanye babencoma, abanye becabanga. Isikhalo esikhulu senziwa ngokumelene nokuhweba kwezingoma. Ekubuyekezeni icwecwe lakhe elithi Skylarkin (1979), uFrank John Hadley wathi "ukube abaculi be-jazz bezentengiselwano benyukele ezikhundleni zobukhosi, uGrover Washington Jr. ngabe ungumphathi wabo."
Impilo yomuntu siqu yeciko
Ngenkathi ecula kwelinye lamakhonsathi akhe aphesheya kwezilwandle, uGrover wahlangana nonkosikazi wakhe wesikhathi esizayo uChristina. Ngaleso sikhathi, wayesebenza njengomsizi womhleli wencwadi yendawo. UChristina ukhumbula kahle ukuqala kobudlelwane babo: "Sahlangana ngoMgqibelo, futhi ngoLwesine saqala ukuhlala ndawonye." Ngo-1967 bashada. Ngemva kokukhishwa kukaWashington enkonzweni, lo mbhangqwana wathuthela ePhiladelphia.
Babenabantwana ababili - indodakazi uShana Washington nendodana uGrover Washington III. Kuncane okwaziwayo ngemisebenzi yezingane. Njengoyise nomkhulu, uWashington III wanquma ukuba ngumculi.
Ngo-1999, lo mculi waya kusethi ye-The Saturday Early Show, lapho acula khona izingoma ezine. Ngemva kwalokho, waya ekamelweni eliluhlaza. Esalinde ukuqhubeka nokuqopha, wamelwa yinhliziyo. Abasebenzi beStudio babiza i-ambulensi ngokushesha, kodwa lapho befika esibhedlela, uWashington wayeseshonile. Odokotela baqophe ukuthi lo mculi waba nesifo senhliziyo esikhulu.
