Every December, I remember Grover Washington, Jr., a contemporary jazz legend. He died nine years ago, on December 17. He had a distinctive sound and a number of hits that are still remembered and played to this day. He made a lasting impression on me when I saw him rock the house in St. Louis in 1993 (with then newbie Norman Brown opening). He had the crowd in a frenzy. He blew his ass off!

Here he is, in his prime, from a 1983 performance in Japan: