Don Grolnick

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.

As leader/co-leader

With Steps Ahead

With Brecker Brothers

As sideman

With Gato Barbieri

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