Jack Grunsky (born July 1, 1945) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

singer and songwriter. Grunsky's musical career has spanned two continents. More than three decades of recording and touring have earned him a wide following from both adult and children's audiences.

Folk music

Born in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, he came to Canada as an infant. His singing and performing began in high school in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, but after graduating he returned to

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where his music career began. In 1966 he formed the successful but short-lived

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...

singing group, Jack's Angels who were signed to Amadeo Records of

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. After the group disbanded, Grunsky recorded three solo albums for the label, one of which was produced by

Alexis Korner Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner (19 April 1928 – 1 January 1984), known professionally as Alexis Korner, was a British blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a founding father of British blues". A major in ...

. The album, ''Toronto'', was recorded in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and featured tracks with

Mick Taylor Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, he appeared on: ''Let It Bleed'' ...

on slide guitar. He was subsequently brought on board the progressive

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

label, Kuckuck Records of

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

, where he produced three more albums of original material. Grunsky was a featured guest on many radio and TV specials and even hosted his own half-hour weekly radio show called, ''Folk With Jack'' on Austrian radio

ORF ORF or Orf may refer to: * Norfolk International Airport, IATA airport code ORF * Observer Research Foundation, an Indian research institute * One Race Films, a film production company founded by Vin Diesel * Open reading frame, a portion of the ...

. In 1974 he moved with wife and young daughter back to Canada where he connected with record producer Chad Irschick and released an independent album titled, ''The Patience Of A Sailor.''

Children's music

In the early 1980s Grunsky developed a keen interest in music for children. Since then, he has been well known for his children's music. His eleven recordings for children have received prestigious awards in children's media including two Juno Awards for Best Children's Recording, several U.S. Parents' Choice Gold Awards, multiple placements on the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

's "Notable Recording Lists" and a Parent's Guide to Children's Media Award. He tours extensively, performing in theatres and family concert settings, international children's festivals, and Early Childhood Educational conferences. Numerous television appearances on

Treehouse TV Treehouse TV is a Canadian English-language specialty channel for preschoolers aged 2 to 5 that was launched in 1997. Its name comes from YTV's former preschool block, " The Treehouse". The channel is owned by YTV Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of ...

have broadened his appeal both in Canada and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Grunsky has also performed his symphony show for young audiences called ''Welcome to the Orchestra'' with most major Canadian orchestras. Other music production credits include

Fred Penner Frederick Ralph Cornelius Penner (born November 6, 1946) is a Canadian children's entertainer and musician known for the song " The Cat Came Back" and his television series, ''Fred Penner's Place'', which aired on CBC in Canada from 1985 to 199 ...

's 2002 CD, ''Sing With Fred'', which won Children's Album of the Year at the 2003 Juno Awards. Jack Grunsky released his first

NuJazz Nu jazz (also known as jazztronica, or future jazz) is a genre of jazz and electronic music. The music blends jazz elements with other musical styles, such as funk, electronic music, and free improvisation.Definition from Sergey Chernov, June 7, ...

instrumental CD, ''Coastlines'', in 2006. He released a follow-up album, ''Room To Move'' in May 2008. He continues to focus on both jazz and children's performances. His most recent children's album, ''Hoppin' Socks'' was released in 2011. His daughter Cosima is a singer-songwriter who often performs music with her father. She has released three independent recordings to date.prologue.org
Cosima Grunsky
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Awards and recognition

* 1992: nominee, Juno Award, Best Children's Album, ''Children of the Morning'' * 1993: winner, Juno Award, Best Children's Album, ''Waves of Wonder'' * 1994: nominee, Juno Award, Best Children's Album, ''Dream Catcher'' * 1997: nominee, Juno Award, Best Children's Album, ''Jumpin' Jack'' * 2001: winner, Juno Award, Best Children's Album, ''Sing & Dance'' * 2004: nominee, Juno Award, Children's Album of the Year, ''Like a Flower to the Sun''

References

External links

Jack Grunsky official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grunsky, Jack Living people 1945 births Austrian emigrants to Canada Canadian children's musicians Canadian singer-songwriters Juno Award for Children's Album of the Year winners