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.
Loran's Dance
Grover Washington Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Book Of Secrets
The Mummer′s Dance
When in the springtime of the year
When the trees are crowned with leaves
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair
In the blue veil of the night
The shadows of the trees appear
Amidst the lantern light
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
Who will go down to those shady groves
And summon the shadows there
And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms
In the springtime of the year
The songs of birds seem to fill the wood
That when the fiddler plays
All their voices can be heard
Long past their woodland days
And so they linked their hands and danced
Round in circles and in rows
And so the journey of the night descends
When all the shades are gone
"A garland gay we bring you here
And at your door we stand
It is a sprout well budded out
The work of our Lord′s hand"
The Mummer's Dance by Loreena McKennitt is a song that talks about the spring season, where trees are abundant with leaves and different shades of flowers are in bloom, leading to a pleasant atmosphere of celebration. In this lyrical interpretation, the singer is describing the enchanting beauty of spring. The mention of trees, such as the ash, oak, birch, and yew, indicates that the singer is somewhere in the northern hemisphere, where these types of trees are indigenous.
As night falls, the shadowy vision of trees can be seen amidst the lantern light, and the songbirds' sounds fill the air as the fiddler plays. The gentle swaying motion of dancing in the darkness of night and being one with nature is a beauty in itself. In the end, they bring a sprout well-budded out, which they consider the work of the Lord's hand. The song depicts the essence of celebrating life, new beginnings, and enjoying the little things.
In conclusion, The Mummer's Dance is a song about celebrating springtime and life's simple pleasures. The lyrics describe the beauty of the season's arrival, the sounds of nature, and the joy of dancing in the night with friends. It is a well-known piece of music that has captured the hearts of people worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
When in the springtime of the year
At the start of spring
When the trees are crowned with leaves
When the trees have leaves on the branches
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew
When different kinds of trees like ash, oak, birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair
Have beautiful ribbons tied around them
When owls call the breathless moon
During a moonlit night when owls hoot
In the blue veil of the night
On a dark, quiet night
The shadows of the trees appear
The tree shadows are visible
Amidst the lantern light
Illuminated by the light of the lantern
We've been rambling all the night
We have been wandering all night long
And some time of this day
Before the end of day
Now returning back again
Returning to the starting point
We bring a garland gay
We bring a cheerful wreath
Who will go down to those shady groves
Who will go to the dark groves
And summon the shadows there
And call the shadows to the grove
And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms
And tie a ribbon around the branches of the trees
In the springtime of the year
During spring
The songs of birds seem to fill the wood
The woodland is filled with the singing of birds
That when the fiddler plays
When the fiddler starts to play music
All their voices can be heard
Their singing can be heard clearly
Long past their woodland days
Even after leaving the woodland, their songs remain
And so they linked their hands and danced
They held hands and danced together
Round in circles and in rows
Dancing in a circle and in rows
And so the journey of the night descends
The night journey comes to an end
When all the shades are gone
When all the shadows have disappeared
"A garland gay we bring you here
"We bring you a cheerful wreath
And at your door we stand
We stand at your doorstep
It is a sprout well budded out
It is a well-grown plant shoot
The work of our Lord's hand"
A creation of God
Writer(s): Washington Grover
Contributed by Daniel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.