Don Grolnick


Don Grolnick was an American jazz pianist, composer, and record producer. He was a member of the groups Steps Ahead and Dreams, both with Michael Brecker, and played often with the Brecker Brothers. As a session musician, he recorded with Billy Cobham, Roberta Flack, Harry Chapin, Dave Holland, Bette Midler, Marcus Miller, Bob Mintzer, Linda Ronstadt, David Sanborn, Carly Simon, J. D. Souther, Steely Dan, and James Taylor.

Career

Grolnick was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Levittown, New York. He began his musical life on accordion but later switched to piano. His interest in jazz began as a child when his father took him to a Count Basie concert, and soon after they also saw Erroll Garner perform at Carnegie Hall. He attended Tufts University with a major in philosophy.
After he left Tufts, he formed the jazz-rock band Fire & Ice with Ken Melville on guitar and Stuart Schulman, his friend since childhood, on bass guitar. They were the opening act for B.B. King, The Jeff Beck Group, and the Velvet Underground at Boston clubs like the Boston Tea Party and The Ark. This was Grolnick's first foray into rock and blues as a performer, and he began to write within the medium as well. Grolnick moved back to New York in 1969 and joined Melville in the jazz fusion band "D".
Grolnick died at the age of 48 on June 1, 1996 from Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Sources:
With Brecker Brothers
With Dreams
With Steps Ahead
With Gato Barbieri
With Joe Beck
With George Benson
With Ron Carter
With Peter Erskine
With Steve Khan
With Melissa Manchester
With The Manhattan Transfer
With Bob Mintzer
With Esther Phillips
With Bonnie Raitt
With Linda Ronstadt
With David Sanborn
With John Scofield
With Don Sebesky
With Carly Simon
With Steely Dan
With James Taylor
With John Tropea
With others