Grover Hits His Groove

These are unusual times for Grover Washington Jr. His most recent album, “Then and Now” (Columbia CCK 44256), stands at No. 8 on the Billboard charts after a 25-week run that has seen it reach No. 2. (It was No. 1 for six weeks in R&R; Magazine’s airplay listings.)

What is uncommon about this is that Washington, for whom a place on the Billboard pop charts has been the customary situation, is now on the jazz chart--not the so-called contemporary jazz list, but the regular jazz roster that places him alongside Charlie Parker and Diane Schuur.

The sales of “Then and Now” may not be spectacular, but the contents have been pleasing both to Washington and to those whose interests are in straight-ahead jazz. Along with loose, spontaneous solos by the leader and strong support by his regular sidemen, there are guest appearances, both as players and composers, by Herbie Hancock, Tommy Flanagan and Ron Carter.

A little-known detail is the involvement of Igor Butman, a Soviet saxophonist and longtime fan of Washington’s, with whom he jammed during his idol’s tour of the U.S.S.R. Butman later married an American and moved to Boston in 1987. He is prominently featured on “Then and Now,” duetting with Washington on “Stella by Starlight” and playing a Butman original, “French Connections.”

As these details make clear, this is beyond doubt a record of unusual interest, which even the stubbornest of jazz purists can appreciate.

Over the years, despite (or perhaps because of) the great commercial success that earned him gold and platinum records through carefully planned sessions aimed at the contemporary/fusion market, Washington has been the victim of negative reviews by critics who tend to be suspicious of anyone whose sales have led to extraordinary financial security.

Some writers have ignored him; others have accused him of bastardizing his music, a charge he finds not only hurtful but also quite untrue. Of course, the conventional wisdom among artists who have to endure these slings and arrows is that critics are insignificant onlookers whose views are of no concern to them; but beneath that attitude the performer may harbor a deep resentment that will never go away.

So it was when Grover Washington Jr. read a review under this byline some years ago, predicting inaccurately and intemperately that the saxophonist would not even be a footnote in American music. Reached last week at his home outside Philadelphia, he engaged in an enlightening conversation about his values, past and present.

“I haven’t ever operated under false pretenses,” he said. “I knew all along that I wanted to play different kinds of music.”

On being told that “Then and Now” met with at least one critic’s approval, he said: “Well, thank you. It’s nice to know that you like one album out of the 20.”

The fact is that Washington had been trying for about 10 years to make a record along the lines of “Then and Now.” As he explained, “The record companies I was with just didn’t think they were ready to market a product of this kind; but when I signed with CBS a couple of years ago, I had it written into my contract that I could do this.”

In the future, he added, he plans to rotate, continuing along the contemporary lines but incorporating here and there some mainstream material.

He may be expected to adhere to this policy when he appears June 17 in the annual Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl. At a previous Bowl concert, he shared billing with Stan Getz and recalls that “Stan and I had a great time.” For the finale, the two joined forces on “Mr. Magic.” (Ironically, it was Getz who suggested that Washington hit; Grover would have preferred to play “Stella by Starlight.”)

Assuming that equal results were possible for his contemporary projects and albums such as “Then and Now,” would he divide his time equally between the two?

“You mean, between a ‘Strawberry Moon’ type album and ‘Then and Now’? Well, first of all, there was nothing equal about these records. The budget for ‘Then and Now’ was a great deal smaller, and we did it all live in a relatively short space of time. In fact, all the tunes released are first or second takes; the only reason we didn’t use the first takes was that they ran a little too long. There was no overdubbing at all, and the enjoyment, the good feeling and the spontaneity really came through the grooves.”

This does not necessarily invalidate the more complicated procedure in producing a “Winelight” or a “Strawberry Moon.” Such records have to be assembled layer-cake style; as Washington pointed out, there may be as many as seven musicians in the rhythm section alone, whose diverse roles must be worked out separately and with great care.

“You can be in the studio three whole days just trying to get one track completed in such a way that nothing will clash,” Washington said. “So you do these things on an individual basis, and then in the final result everything will go hand in glove.”

Contemporary credits aside, Washington’s background offers a reminder of his wealth of experiences, ranging from R&B; groups to Army bands and organ trios. In 1971 came the turning point: He was booked for a record date with the tenor saxophonist Hank Crawford, but when Crawford failed to show, Washington was assigned by producer Creed Taylor to take over for what became his first session as a leader. The record, “Inner City Blues,” was a blockbuster, leading to the formation of his own traveling band and a long series of hits, among which “Mr. Magic” was the first to reach the top spot on several charts.

He does not intend to remain identified with any single image. “My next album will be a contemporary one that you probably won’t listen to, but you never can tell what the one after that may be. I want to do some big-band things, symphonic things, a saxophone quartet date; and I want to bring back the organ trio, a format that has been grossly neglected in recent years.

“My objective is to put each project together like a collection of short stories, hoping that the tales I tell will be something anyone can enjoy. In fact, I just want to play the best music I can in any area. It’s as simple as that.”