Saxophonist Steve Grossman of Glen Cove dies at 69

Steve Grossman picked up the saxophone in the third grade at Kramer Lane Elementary School in Plainview and from then on, he was rarely without it. Grossman, who went on to play in bands with jazz legends Miles Davis and Elvin Jones, died of cardiac arrest Aug. 13 in Glen Cove. He was 69.

Growing up, Grossman’s childhood home was one filled with music. His mother, Rosalind, played piano; his older brother, Hal, played trumpet, and his father, Irving, worked in a music-related business with RCA electronics.

“There was always music in the house,” said younger brother Myles Grossman, 66, of Greenvale. “We had hundreds of jazz records, then all kinds of jam sessions were happening at various stages.”

At 7, Steve Grossman began playing the alto saxophone after being inspired by Charlie “Bird” Parker and following in the footsteps of his uncle Bill Lippman, who used to play the instrument in the Catskills.

“When you are young, you don’t have a lot of the problems that you do when you are older, so you can focus pretty easy,” said Steve Grossman in a 2010 interview with The Pace Report. “I learned pretty quickly.”

When the family moved to the suburbs of Pittsburgh, he played in The Uniques with Hal and performed at the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in the mid-1960s.

“Even at that time, Duke Ellington got very interested in my brother,” recalled Myles. “Half serious, half joking, he offered him to play in his band.”

Moving back to Plainview as a teenager, Steve Grossman attended Bethpage High School and then studied at Juilliard School in Manhattan. From there, he landed gigs all over New York City playing both soprano and tenor saxophone. One night at the Village Gate, trumpeter Miles Davis came to see him perform and asked him to join his band replacing saxophone great Wayne Shorter.

“It’s one thing to have tremendous talent and it’s another thing to have it recognized by a statesman of jazz like Miles Davis,” said Myles Grossman, who saw his brother play with Davis at Harvard Stadium in 1970. “He had some big shoes to fill, but at a young age he was able to slide right in there.”

After playing on several Davis’ recordings such as “A Tribute to Jack Johnson” and “Miles Davis at Fillmore,” Grossman moved on to join former John Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones’ band and can be heard on albums like “Merry-Go-Round” and “Mr. Jones.”

“Steve Grossman is the baby of the group. He picks up where John Coltrane left off,” said Jones in a 1971 interview. “You have to hear him to really appreciate the tremendous talent that he has.”

Eventually, Grossman formed his own quartet and moved to Bologna, Italy, in the early ‘80s.

“Europe has a much bigger jazz audience than the U.S.,” said Myles Grossman. “There were many more opportunities for my brother to work at clubs and festivals. He also toured Japan on several occasions.”

Grossman began recording for French label Dreyfus Jazz where he released a string of albums like 1991’s “Do It,” 1993’s “A Small Hotel” and 1999’s “Quartet.”

“Steve had his own distinct style,” said Myles Grossman. “He was influenced by a variety of different players Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, but my brother was able to take from these legends and create a sound that was his own.”

Over six years ago, Grossman came back to Long Island from overseas and settled in Glen Cove where he taught private lessons from his home.

“Steve wanted to be part of the New York jazz scene,” said Myles. “He would play at the Jazz Standard on the East Side of Manhattan as well as Jazz at Kitano.”

Despite being a decorated jazz veteran, Grossman was also humble.

“Steve didn’t wear his fame on his shoulder. There was no celebrity mode about him at all,” said Myles. “He was just interested in the joy of playing with other musicians.”

Grossman is survived by his brother Myles, sister-in-law Cheryl, nephew Ian and nieces Saydie, Elena and Sari Cavanna.

A memorial concert is being planned after the pandemic.

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.