GRP Records is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
record company that was founded in New York by
Dave GrusinDavid Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and he has won numerous awards for his soundtrack work. Although he has worked in many musical styles, Grusin is often thought of as a jazz or smooth jazz artist...
and
Larry RosenLarry Rosen is a musician, producer, executive producer, and music industry entrepreneur.Mr. Rosen is the producer/executive producer of over 350 albums, of which 80 have been nominated for GRAMMY Awards, as well as numerous film/video productions and Television specials. Mr...
in 1982.
History
Previously, the duo had formed Grusin/Rosen Productions as a freelance production team in 1976, making records for labels such as RCA, Blue Note and CTI with artists like
Jon LucienJon Lucien was born on the island of Tortola, the main island of the British Virgin Islands. Born Lucien Harrigan, and raised in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands by his musician father, Lucien was best known for his song "Rashida", the title track of an album released in 1973, and one of two...
,
Noel PointerNoel Pointer was an American jazz violinist and record producer.He was nominated for a Grammy award in 1981. Pointer's reputation as an outstanding jazz musician and literary advocate garnered him honorary citizenship in cities across the United States...
,
Earl KlughEarl Klugh is an American smooth jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and composer. Klugh currently resides in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, Georgia....
and
Patti AustinPatti Austin is an American Grammy-winning R&B and jazz music singer.-Career:She made her debut at the Apollo Theater at age four and had a contract with RCA Records when she was only five...
. Between 1978-1982, Grusin/Rosen Productions operated under a label agreement with Clive Davis at
AristaArista Records is an American record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, which was known as Arista/GRP. They achieved success with a number of artists during this period, most notably trumpeter Tom Browne and his jazz-funk hit 'Funkin' for Jamaica'. Embracing an all-digital recording philosophy, GRP made early use of Soundstream's digital recording technology, resulting in Dave Grusin's 'Mountain Dance' (1979), one of the earliest all-digital recordings outside of classical music.
Dave ValentinDave Valentin is a jazz flautist.He learned latin percussion first when he was a teenager, and then switched to flute. Valentin's teacher, Hubert Laws, suggested that he not double on saxophone because of his attractive sound on the flute. He studied at the Bronx Community College...
was the first act signed to the label.
[New York Times Pop Jazz]
In 1982, GRP Records became an independent label. They quickly became one of the first U.S. labels to release all of their titles on compact disc under the moniker 'The Digital Master Company'. The label achieved success at radio in the New Adult Contemporary (NAC) format on stations like CD101.9 in New York and The Wave in Los Angeles.
In 1987, GRP Records signed a distribution deal with
MCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part...
; GRP was distributed throughout Europe during this time by a coalition of independent distributors coordinated by the label's Zurich office. MCA bought GRP Records in 1990 allowing the label to handle MCA's (soon to be renamed
Universal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. It is the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
) jazz operations. As a result, GRP reissued numerous classic jazz titles from MCA's Impulse, Chess and Decca catalogs. As Billboard's #1 Contemporary Jazz label for five consecutive years, GRP Records was the major forerunner for the success of the 'smooth jazz' format. Founders Grusin and Rosen left in 1995 and were replaced by producer
Tommy LiPumaTommy LiPuma is an American music producer. In his long career, he has worked with many musicians, including Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Claudine Longet, Dave Mason, the Yellowjackets, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, and The Story...
. After the merger of Universal with
PolyGramPolyGram was the name from 1972 of the major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999, it was sold to Seagram and merged with MCA Music Entertainment, to form Universal Music Group....
, GRP became one of a series of labels managed by the Verve Music Group. It's output today is primarily smooth jazz.
The company's name has had different meanings. In its early days, it stood for "Grusin/Rosen Productions", after the founders. By the mid-1990s, after Grusin and Rosen left the company, GRP used the marketing slogan "Great Records Period". Both are rarely used today, the company is now know as "GRP Records".
External links