Background
Grolnick was born in Brooklyn, and grew up in Levittown, New York and began his young musical life playing the accordion, but later switched to piano.
composer pianist jazz musician
Grolnick was born in Brooklyn, and grew up in Levittown, New York and began his young musical life playing the accordion, but later switched to piano.
He also played on albums by the Brecker Brothers and Ten Wheel Drive. 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 went on to study at Tufts University with a major in philosophy, but his interest in music remained.
They opened for bands such as B.B. King, The Jeff Beck Group and the Velvet Underground at Boston clubs like the Boston Tea Party and The Arkansas
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 where he joined Melville in the jazz fusion band "Doctorate", which also provided backup for Andy Warhol superstar Ultra Violet.
Grolnick died on June 1, 1996 from non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He was 48 years old.
He was a member of the groups Steps Ahead and Dreams, both with Michael Brecker.