In addition, he performed very frequently with other artists, including Bill Withers on "Just the Two of Us" (a song still in regular rotation on radio today) and Phyllis Hyman on "Sacred Kind of Love". He is also remembered for his take on a Dave Brubeck classic, called "Take Another Five", as well as for his hit "Soulful Strut". His work continues to inspire jazz artists even today.
Washington was born in Buffalo, New York, 12 December 1943. Regarded as one of the revolutionaries in jazz music and is considered one of the greatest saxophone players in modern jazz history. He led many others to follow in his footsteps.
Washington's history was music-filled. His mother was a church chorister, and his father was a collector of old jazz 78s and a saxophonist as well, so music was everywhere in the home. He grew up with the great jazz men and big band leaders like Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, and others like them. At the age of 8, with the desire for him to be more than he could be, Grover Sr. gave Jr. a saxophone. He practiced and sneaked into clubs to see famous Buffalo blues musicians.
He left Buffalo and played with a mid-west group called the Four Clefs. He was drafted into the US Army shortly thereafter, but this was to be to his advantage, as he met drummer Billy Cobham. Cobham, a mainstay in New York City, introduced Washington to many New York musicians. After leaving the Army, Washington freelanced his talents around New York City, eventually landing in Philadelphia in 1967.
Grover's big break came at the expense of another artist. Alto sax man Hank Crawford was unable to make a recording date with Prestige Records, and Washington took his place, even though he was a backup. This led to his first album, Inner City Blues. He was talented, and displayed heart and soul with soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. Refreshing for his time, he made headway into the jazz mainstream. His fifth album, 1974's Mister Magic was a commercial success, and introduced guitarist Eric Gale in as a near-permanent member in Washington's arsenal.
A string of acclaimed records brought Washington through the 1970s, which culminated in the signature piece for everything Washington would do from then on. 1980's Winelight was the album that defined everything Washington was about. The album was smooth, fused with R and B and easy listening feel. Washington's love of basketball, especially the Philadelphia 76ers, led him to dedicate his first track, Let It Flow to Julius Erving (Dr. J). The highlight of the album, and a main staple of radio airplay everywhere, was his great collaboration with soul artist Bill Withers, Just The Two of Us. It was also the final step away from Motown, landing him on Elektra Records and into a new era of jazz excellence. The album went platinum in 1981, and also won Grammy Awards in 1982 for Best R and B Song ("Just The Two of Us"), and Best Jazz Fusion Performance ("Winelight"). "Winelight" was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
From that point, Washington is credited (or scorned, as some may say) for giving rise to a new batch of talent that would make its mark in the late 80s and early 90s. He is blamed for bringing Kenny G to the forefront, but also credited with bringing such smooth jazz artists as Walter Beasley, Steve Cole, Pamela Williams, Najee, George Howard, and The Philadelphia Experiment into popular attention.
The tragedy and irony of Washington's life was that while he was able to get his big break from another artist's absence, Washington lived long enough to bring smooth jazz to the last points of the old millennium, but didn't outlive Hank Crawford, whose absence gave him his big break (and is still alive, as of 2005). On December 17th, 1999, while waiting in the green room after taping four songs for the The Early Show, at CBS Studios in New York City, Washington collapsed. He was taken to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 7:30 p.m. His doctors determined that he had suffered a massive heart attack.
Grover Washington Jr.'s legacy lives on in the futures of up-and-coming jazz artists, and his life is celebrated from college campuses all around the nation to the hallowed streets of his own Philadelphia, his adopted hometown.
Let It Flow
Grover Washington Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She'll never know how she blows my mind
She's there with the chemicals in my brain
Spinning softly round my head
I'm gonna give in, I'll never change my mind
I feel it now tonight is the night
And why should I try to resist
When it's calling out to me
She's blowing my mind
She's always blowing my mind
The autumn and the winter
Have been and gone
Half the time I never knew what was wrong
I never noticed I was feeling down
It just went day by day
She'll never know how she turned it round
She'll never know how she blows my mind
It was a long time coming to me
I'm gonna outshine every star
She's gonna bring me through
She's blowing my mind
She's always blowing my mind
I won't be able to help myself
Falling in love with her
I have all the time in the world
The answer was always there
Why should I try to resist
When it's calling out to me
She can take my heart, I'll pay the price
She's the sweetest thing I've ever known
Here she comes walking across the sand
She'll never know how she blows my mind
She's there with the chemicals in my brain
Spinning softly round my head
I'm gonna give in, I'll never change my mind
I feel it now tonight is the night
And why should I try to resist
When it's calling out to me
Calling out to me
She's blowing my mind
She's always blowing my mind
The lyrics of Grover Washington Jr.'s song "Let It Flow" depict a romantic narrative of a man who is so in love with a woman that he cannot resist her. The song starts with the singer talking about a woman who is walking towards him on the beach, and he acknowledges that he is madly in love with her. He felt what she did to his brain "with the chemicals," and now he's ready to admit that he'll never change his mind about loving her. He has the feeling that tonight is the night, and he is welcoming her with open arms because he knows that he will never be able to resist her.
The theme of the song describes how the woman has had a profound impact on the man, bringing him out of a period of depression and making him fall in love with her. The lyrics are not only describing the overwhelming feelings of the man, but they are also capturing the beauty and essence of the woman. The song emphasizes how the woman has turned his life around through her healing power of love, and he will always cherish her.
Line by Line Meaning
Here she comes walking across the sand
The singer sees the person he is attracted to walking towards him on the beach.
She'll never know how she blows my mind
The singer is unable to convey the strength of the feelings he has for this person.
She's there with the chemicals in my brain
The singer experiences a biological reaction to the presence of the person he loves.
Spinning softly round my head
The artist is experiencing euphoria as a result of the presence of the person he loves.
I'm gonna give in, I'll never change my mind
The artist is acknowledging that he will inevitably fall for this person and cannot resist it.
I feel it now tonight is the night
The singer senses that tonight is a turning point in his relationship with this person.
And why should I try to resist
The singer questions why he would try to resist falling in love when it feels so good.
When it's calling out to me
The artist believes that love is a force beyond his control and is drawing him towards this person.
Calling out to me
The artist feels a strong pull towards the person he loves.
She's blowing my mind
The presence of the person the artist is attracted to is causing him to experience a state of euphoria.
She's always blowing my mind
The singer is constantly in awe of the person he loves.
The autumn and the winter
The artist is acknowledging the passage of time.
Have been and gone
The singer is acknowledging the passage of time.
Half the time I never knew what was wrong
The singer experienced a sense of dissatisfaction that he was unable to identify for the past few months.
I never noticed I was feeling down
The singer was unaware of his depression until the presence of the person he loves made him feel alive again.
It just went day by day
The artist's life was monotonous and uneventful.
She'll never know how she turned it round
The artist attributes his newfound happiness to the presence of the person he loves.
It was a long time coming to me
The singer has been waiting for this experience of falling in love for a long time.
I'm gonna outshine every star
The singer is filled with confidence and joy as a result of the presence of the person he loves.
She's gonna bring me through
The artist believes that the person he loves will help him overcome any obstacles he faces in life.
I won't be able to help myself
The artist knows that he will fall in love with the person he is attracted to.
Falling in love with her
The artist is becoming emotionally invested in the person he is attracted to.
I have all the time in the world
The singer is not in a hurry to rush into anything with the person he is attracted to.
The answer was always there
The artist is acknowledging that love was always present in his life, he just needed to recognize it.
She can take my heart, I'll pay the price
The singer is willing to give his heart to the person he loves, even if it means getting hurt.
She's the sweetest thing I've ever known
The singer is expressing the depth of his affection for the person he loves.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GROVER JR. WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juanmitchell5723
Grover Washington was prolific. He came up with some of the greatest, catchiest melodies in contemporary Jazz. One of my all-time favorite musicians.
@mrbrum1mrbrum175
That bass line is awesome. Love this song. Great music.
@drewash99
Marcus Miller on bass.
@patpower2099
Genius never dies, Grover truly was and his music lives on.
@3rdandlong
I can't say it any better than most of you. Grover was one of the first smooth jazz artists I heard on Jazz Trax about 1985. Yes, he may have left us, but not his music. We are all blessed to live and enjoy it.
@williamgause4029
I agree Genius never dies and neither does Timeless Classic music such as from Grover Washington Jr.
Rest in heavenly peace
@ronaldspikes5370
Wish they could make music like this again
@billterrenicestreetman5695
This song personifies the grace of Grover Washington, Jr. and Dr. J!
@israelzayas8282
He was so able to capture deep-down emotions with his music.. One of a kind artists.
@williamgause4029
Grover Washington jr stands the test of time because his music is TIMELESS