Keyboardist
1968 - 1974
Azteca / Vince Guaraldi
In 1968 Don moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Aspen Colorado and played with many Bay area musicians including Vince Guaraldi and the band Azteca. Members included:
Pat O’hare – trombone
Bobby Ferreira – sax
Mel Martin – sax
Eddie Henderson – trumpet
Tom Harrell – trumpet
Tony Smith – drums
Tom Rutley – bass
Bill Courtial – guitar
Wendy Haas – vocals
Errol Knowles – vocals
Paul Jackson – bass
Paul later moved to Tokyo and Don moved to Los Angeles in 1974.
Keyboardist
1975
Quincy Jones Band
In 1975 Don joined Quincy Jones' band as the keyboardist for a tour of Japan and the US. Included in the band were:
Paulette McWilliams – vocals
The Brothers Johnson – guitar and bass
Al Ciner – guitar
Frank Rosolino – trombone
Sahib Shahab – sax
Ernie Krivda – sax
Michael Buono – drums
Joe Greene – vocals
Ramón Flores (from Mazatlan) – trumpet
Session Player
1976
Christopher Rainbow
In 1976 Don was the keyboardist on an album produced by Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil for the Irish singer Christopher Rainbow. The album Home of the Brave was recorded at Kendun Studio where the producers were working with their famous Tonto synthesizer which Stevie Wonder used on his records.
Band Leader
1978
Kitchen
Since working with Brazilian musicians was always on the back burner for Don, he helped found in 1978 a new band called Kitchen that was made up of former Sergio Mendez band members. In addition to the foremost samba drummer Claudio Slon, the group personnel consisted of:
Octavio Bailly – bass
Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
Al Ciner (of Rufus) – guitar
Henry Jackson (LA) – vocals
Diane Brooks (Toronto) – vocals
LA horn players:
Steve Huffsteter – trumpet
Bill Reichenback – trombone
Don Marquis – saxes
Kitchen created a new kind of Brasilian Funk and Lou Adler was the executive producer. After a wildly received concert at the Roxy on Sunset in LA the album was set to be released by A&M. Adler however left for Epic Sony and the project was never released.
Collaborator
1978
Friendship
Serving as band leader and composer, Don was the creative spark in 1978 behind the acclaimed record company Elektra's fusion ensemble Friendship. These players have been central in Don's career ever since:
Lee Ritenour – guitar
Ernie Watts – sax and flute
Abraham Laboriel – bass
Alex Acuña – drums and percussion
Steve Forman – percussion
Composer
1979
Pointer Sisters
In 1979 Don co-wrote the Pointer Sisters song "I'll Get by Without You" for their album Having a Party. Co-writers were Melvin Ragin (aka Wah Wah Watson) and Bonnie Pointer. The record was released on the ABC Blue Thumb label.
Composer / Session Player
1981
Venus Logic System
In 1981 Don recorded with Matsutake of Yellow Magic Orchestra at Yamaha Recording studio in LA and wrote "Take a Chance" for his album Venus Logic System. The album was released by EMI/Express.
Solo Album
1981
Don Grusin
Don's composed and produced the studio-recorded solo album Don Grusin for the JVC label in 1981. On the record Don contributed vocals, OBX synthesizer, ARP 2000 synthesizer, vocoder, Fender Rhodes, piano and Mini Moog performances. Other personnel consisted of:
Abraham Laboriel – bass
Alex Acuña – drums
Steve Forman – percussion
Michael Sembelo – electric guitar
Oscar Castro-Neves – acoustic guitar
Efrain Toro – percussion
Kate Markowitz – vocals
Nathan East – bass
Gary Herbig – tenor sax
Lee Ritenour – electric guitar
Producer / Composer
1982
Champion
Don produced and wrote the songs “Cool” and “There’s a Champion on my Side” with Tom Jans for his Champion album which was released on the Japanese label Canyon Records.
Composer
1983
Two Eyes
Don and Brenda Russell wrote "Stay Close" for her Two Eyes album which was released by Warner Brothers.
Solo Album
1984
10K-LA
Don's album 10K-LA was released by JVC in 1984. Personnel:
Nathan East – bass
Lee Ritenour – guitar
Tim Weston – guitar
Dave Grusin – Yamaha GS1
Abraham Laboriel – bass
Ernie Watts – sax
Steve Foreman – percussion
Harvey Mason – drums
Bob Wilson – drums
Tom Jans – vocals
Kate Markowitz – vocals
Eric Tagg – vocals
Phil Perry – vocals
Valerie Carter – background vocals
Leslie Smith – background vocals
Album cover art was by Paul Pascarella.
Producer / Arranger / Player
1985
Musican
Don's first Grammy win came in 1985 serving as producer, arranger, session player, composer and drum programmer on the Ernie Watts album Musican. The album was released on Quincy Jones' Warner Brothers distributed label Qwest. Quincy's label also produced the Grammy-winning Chariots of Fire soundtrack album on which Don also served as a session player.
Don and Dave Grusin
1987
Sticks and Stones
Don and brother Dave produced Sticks and Stones for GRP in 1987. This was GRP's first digital recording using SIMPTE-TK software and the Atari computer and was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Don Murray. Album cover art was by Paul Pascarella.
Solo Album
1990
Raven
Don produced the solo album Raven for the GRP Records label in 1990. Personnel consisted of:
Sal Marquez – trumpet
Eric Marienthal – saxes
Tom Brechtlein – drums
Djavan – vocals
Jimmy Johnson – bass
Marilyn Scott – vocals
Kate Markowitz – vocals
Jim Gilstrap – vocals
Ricardo Silveira – guitar
Gary Grant – trumpet
Jerry Hey – trumpet
Gary Herbig – sax
Album cover art by Paul Pascarella.
Solo Album
1991
Zephyr
Don's album Zephyr on GRP features:
Ernie Watts – sax and flute
Carlos Rios – guitar
Abraham Laboriel – bass
Carl Anderson – vocals
Jerry Goodman – violin
Dori Caymmi – guitar and vocals
Alex Acuna – drums
Tom Brechtlein – drums
Album cover art was by Paul Pascarella.
Solo Album
1992
No Borders
Don's album No Borders on GRP featured:
Abraham Laboriel – bass
Alex Acuna – drums
Ricardo Silviera – guitar
Dori Caymmi – guitar
Jerry Goodman – violin
Eric Marienthal – alto sax
Clydene Jackson – vocals
Kate Markowitz – vocals
Arnold McCuller – vocals
Solo Album
1993
Native Land
Don released Native Land in 1993 on the GRP label. Personnel consisted of:
Armand Sebal-Lecco – composer and bass
Judd Miller – EWI
Ricardo Silveira – guitar
Dave Grusin – piano
Alex Acuna – drums and percussion
Abraham Laboriel – bass
The songs were inspired by the music of Cameroon and Brasil.
Solo Album
1994
Banana Fish
Don's album Banana Fish on GRP featured:
Brenda Russell – vocals
Harvey Mason and Carlos Vega – drums
Armand Sabal-Lecco – bass
John Patitucci – bass
Frank Quintero – vocals
Tollak Olestad – harmonica and vocals
Gary Herbig – baritone sax
Charlie Bisharat – violin
Album cover art was by Joel Nakamura.
Pianist
1996
Old Friends and Relatives
Don recorded his first piano solo album Old Friends and Relatives at his studio in Monte Nido, CA in 1996. It was released in Japan by old friend Hisao Ebine's company Videoarts Music for which Hisao served as the president. It was later released by another old friend, president Thomas Glasgow, and his company the Care Music Group of Munich. He reprised a few of his favorite standards, including "At Last" (Warren and Gordon), "Fire and Rain" (James Taylor) and "Estate" (Brighetti and Martino).
Solo Album
1998
Laguna Cove
In 1998 Don recorded Laguna Cove with his main gang at a studio in Laguna Beach, CA. Personnel consisted of:
Sal Marquez – trumpet
Walfredo Reyes – drums
Armand Sabal-Lecco – bass
Don Grusin – keyboards
Gerald Albright – sax
Wayne Johnson – guitar
Producer / Composer
2000
Tocando Tierra - A Tribute to Latin American Music
In 2000 Don Grusin and Frank Quintero spearheaded the project Tocando Tierra - A Tribute to Latin American Music. For the project they commissioned 36 artists from all over Latin America to record in multiple cities. This all-star three-disc CD was engineered by Roger Nichols with recording sessions taking place in Los Angeles, Rio, Miami, Caracas, Havana, Lima and Santo Domingo. Unicef was a partial sponsor and the album received a Venezuelan Grammy.
Nine countries were represented on the album and the personnel from each country consisted of:
BRASIL
Oscar Castro-Neves (Brasil/US), Pedro Luis e A Parede, Joyce
MEXICO
Abraham Laboriel and Armando Manzanero
CUBA
Compay Segundo, Gema y Pavel (originally from Cuba, now in Spain), Lucrecia (also originally from Cuba, also now in Spain), Aramis Galindo, Mayito Rivera and Habana Ensemble
VENEZUELA
Frank Quintero, Soledad Bravo, Ilan Chester, Guaco, Aldemaro Romero, Ensemble Gurrufio, Andres and Linda Breceńo, Guillermo Carasco, Pedro Castillo, Pedro Eustache, Las Voces Blancas, Ernan Lopez-Nusa, Alfredo Najarando, Francisco Pacheco, Saul Vera and Nene Quintero
PERU
Alex Acuna, Ramon Stagnaro, Eva Ayllón and Rony Campos
PUERTO RICO
Edwin Colon Zayas
NICARAGUA
Luis Enrique
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Maridália Hernandez
USA
Béla Fleck, Shiela E and Paquito D’Rivera
The rhythm section for the project nicknamed “La Bola” consisted of:
Don Grusin – keyboards
Frank Quintero – acoustic guitar and vocals
Oscar Castro-Neves – guitar
Ramon Stagnaro – guitar
Abraham Laboriel – bass
Alex Acuna – drums
Band Leader / Composer / Producer
2005
Traveling Fancy
In 2005 Don recorded a piano trio album of jazz standards for the Nippon Crown company in Japan entitled Traveling Fancy. It featured Stan Gilbert on bass and Bill Berg on drums.
Producer / Player
2006
The Hang
In 2006 Don received a Grammy nomination for his live contemporary jazz DVD and CD The Hang. It featured his gang Patti Austin, Harvey Mason, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, Ricardo Silveira, Alex Acuna, Phil Perry, Charlie Bisharat, Nathan East, Abraham Laboriel, Pete Escovedo, Natalie Rene, Nelson Rangell, Oscar Seaton, Frank Quintero, Sadao Watanabe, Ernie Watts, Carly Thomas and Jude Crossen. Album art was by Joel Nakamura.
Producer / Player
2006
Geography
Also in 2006 Don and his longtime collaborator Bill Sharpe of Shakatak produced the album Geography working together in their studios in LA and then in the UK. It features:
Bill Sharpe – keyboards
Don Grusin – keyboards
Morningtpn Lockett – sax
Fridrik Karlsson – guitar
Jill Saward – vocal
Nelson Rangell – sax and flute
Charlie Bisharat – violin
Nick Cohen – bass
Natalie Rene – vocals
Till Broenner – trumpet; arranger for "Heat"
Solo Album
2008
Piano in Venice
Don released a solo CD entitled Piano in Venice in 2008. It consisted of a collection of tunes inspired by the streets, moods, animals, homeless, and grooves of the Venice, California beach community. Mixed and mastered by Roger Nichols.
Composer / Arranger
2008
Crestone
Don's second Grammy win came in 2008 for his composing and arranging contributions to Paul Winter's album Crestone.
Band Leader
2009
The Hang Tour
Don put together a band for The Hang Tour in Germany in 2009 and had as its pre-eminent musicians:
Lee Ritenour – guitar
Will Kennedy – drums
Dave Grusin – piano
Wolfgang Schmid (Germany) – bass
Nils Wulker (Germany) – trumpet
Band Leader
2010
Longue View Concert
After having taken his The Hang Band to New Orleans in 2005 he was invited again in 2010 by the Jazz and Heritage Foundation organizers to play a benefit at the Longue View House and Gardens in Metairie, LA. The concert honored local New Orleans mentors who were involved in a children’s landscape and redevelopment organization called the Longue Vue Mission. The band consisted of long-time associates Abraham Laboriel, Oscar Castro-Neves, Alex Acuña and saxophone great Justo Almario.
Producer / Composer
2011
Miho - Journey to the Mountain
Don's third Grammy came in 2011 for his composition and production collaboration on the Paul Winter album Miho - Journey to the Mountain. It is a work based on the primordial music and instruments of Japan captured in a recording at architect I.M Pei’s Miho Museum in the mountains above Kyoto, Japan.
Band Leader
2011
Jazz on 2nd Ave Music Festival - Niwot, CO
Don had for his band on this the gig Robben Ford, Alex Acuna, Abraham Laboriel and Nelson Rangell.
Performing Artist
2011
ElbJazz Festival - Hamburg
Piano Tour with Clara Ponti in Hamburg, Germany.
Band Leader
2011 - 2017
A-Trane Jazz Club - Berlin
Don Grusin Hang Band for A-Trane included:
Christian von Kaphengst – bass
Claus Fischer - bass
Til Broenner - trumpet
Peter Fessler - guitar and vocals
Kim Sanders – vocals
Mark Marshall – vocals
Jeff Cascaro– vocals
Peter Weniger – sax
Mark Wyland – sax
René Decker – sax
Hanno Busch – guitar
Torsten Goods – guitar
Bruno Müller – guitar
Chuck Loeb – guitar
Guido May – drums
Jonas Burgwinkel – drums
David Haynes – drums
Robert Mehmet Ikiz - drums
Collaborator
2012
One Night Only
Dave and I wanted to present a dueling piano concert and the Bayerischer Rundfunk FM radio people supported this idea to play for a live audience in Munich at their beautiful studios. We invited Lee Ritenour to join us for a couple tracks and Don Murray in Los Angeles mixed and mastered the album for Care Music Group, headed by Thomas Glagow.
Composer / Arranger / Player
2012
Quality Time
Recorded at Lettercollum Studio in Timoleague, Ireland by John Fitzgerald, Quality Time was produced by Christain Von Kaphengst and executive produced by Thomas Glagow of Care Music Group, Munich. Winner of the German Echo Award for best jazz recording. Personnel consisted of:
Peter Fessler – vocals and guitar
Don Grusin – keyboards
Christian Von Kaphengst – bass
Robert Mehmet Ikiz – drums
Roland Peil – percussion
Joe Kraus – trumpet
Studio Owner
2015
Don Grusin Studio
In 2015 Don moved back to near his roots in his home state of Colorado. There he built a new state-of-the-art recording studio from the ground up. Located on the banks of Poncha Creek the Don Grusin Studio is in the High Rockies of south-central Colorado at an elevation of 8,440 ft. and is located near the town of Salida, CO.
Band Member
2016
Cotton Club - Tokyo
Nelson Rangell – sax, flute and piccolo
Don Grusin – keyboards
Bijoux Barbosa – bass
Wolfgang Haffner – drums
Sadao Watanabe - special invited audience guest
Band Member
2016
Point of Departure
Peter Weniger – sax
Don Grusin – keyboards
Hanno Busch – guitar
Claus Fischer – bass
Jonas Burgwinkel – drums
David Haynes – drums
All tracks recorded in 2016 at Letter Collum Studio in Timoleague, Ireland. Recorded by John Fitzgerald and produced by Peter Weniger.
Co-Producer - Composer
2018
The Games
East Meets West 2018 was an album and tour concept created by Minoru Mukaiya and Don Grusin. Immediately after recording the band presented three concerts in Japan in the cities of Fukuoaka, Osaka, and Tokyo.
The Games album was recorded in Los Angeles by Don Murray while producer, composer and keyboardist duties were shared by both Minoru Mukaiya and Don Grusin. Each of the rhythm section players contributed songs for the project as well. Personnel consisted of:
Harvey Mason – drums
Ernie Watts – sax and flute
Paul Jackson Jr – guitar
Abraham Laboriel – bass
Eric Miyashiro – trumpet
Masato Honda – sax
Eijiro Nakagawa – trombone
Hitomi Niida – trumpet
Co-Producer / Composer
2017
Populism Dystopia
Don Grusin and Filippo Gaetani composed, recorded and produced four tracks for this extended play album at Tic Studio in Vienna, Austria in 2017.
Christain Zeigelwanger – drums
Marshall Gilkes – trombone
Tina Heumesser – cello
Alexander Czerny – guitar on "Call My Name"
Pianist
2020
Out of Thin Air
This is the first album for Octave Records recorded at Don Grusin Studio in Colorado in early 2020. Produced by Don Grusin it was recorded and mixed in DSD by Robert Friedrich of Five/Four productions, Ltd. Editing and mastering were handled by Gus Skinas (Super Audio Center, LLC) for PS Audio, Inc. Album cover art by Joel Nakamura.
The British publication Hi-Fi News and Record Review Magazine included Out of Thin Air in their "Year's Best CD's" list of 2020 and also as a "Hi-Fi News Album Choice" recommendation. The "Year's Best CD's" review can be viewed by clicking here.