Octave’s premier release, Out of Thin Air, is from world-renowned pianist and composer, Don Grusin. Don has recorded with hundreds of artists and has received three GRAMMY awards and nominated for a fourth, with his 2006 live album The Hang. His recording projects and live performances have taken him around the world. He is the founder of Moose Sound LLC, a recording studio outside of Salida, Colorado where Out of Thin Air was recorded. Don Grusin grew up in Littleton, Colorado, studied at the University of Colorado Boulder in the 1960s and went on to teach economics. At the same time, he pursued his musical interests and in the 1970s, while teaching at Foothill College, he started playing with Latin-jazz Bay Area superband Azteca. When Don got an invitation from Quincy Jones to join his touring band, he dedicated himself to music full-time, as a bandleader and studio musician in Los Angeles. Don has worked with a variety of artists including: Quincy Jones, Sergio Mendes, Zoot Sims, Joe Pass, and many others; and with the 1980s Friendship band, which featured guitarist Lee Ritenour, drummer Alex Acuna, saxophonist Ernie Watts, bassist Abe Laboriel and percussionist Steve Forman. Don’s older brother, noted composer/pianist/producer and co-founder of GRP Records, Dave Grusin, had a major influence on Don’s interest and approach to music generally and in jazz in particular. They’ve played together at TheConference of World Affairs at CU for many years, and have frequently played two-piano concerts ontours in the US and internationally.