Don Grolnick was a pianist, composer, and producer born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1947 whose writing bridged jazz fusion, hard bop, and contemporary jazz. His debut solo album Hearts and Numbers, released in 1985, featured Michael Brecker, Hiram Bullock, Peter Erskine, and Marcus Miller. The follow-up Weaver of Dreams in 1989 brought together both Brecker brothers, Bob Mintzer, Dave Holland, and Barry Rogers. Two later albums on Blue Note Records are cited among the finest small-group jazz recordings of the era. AllSolos features his compositions Nothing Personal and The Cost of Living. Grolnick's long musical partnership with Michael Brecker, which began when both were students at Tufts University, proved especially fruitful. He died of cancer in 1996 at the age of 48, leaving a body of work admired by musicians for its sophistication and wit.
