Search - Marty Grosz :: Keep a Song in Your Soul

Old is New

John C. Graham | toronto, ontario Canada | 06/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Marty Grosz has many fine recordings available on a handful of American, Canadian, and European labels. He still tours frequently with small bands of A list traditional players and shouldn't be missed, if at all possible, when he visits your town. Not only is Marty an exceptional rhythm guitar player who plays without amplification, he's a very good singer in the Fats Waller mould. He likes to talk to his audiences and recount tales from times gone by, often with a hilarity that keeps everyone upbeat and humming. That sense of fun carries over into the performance, leaving the spectators feeling gleeful and happy at the end of the evening.



The cd consists of two studio sessions from 1994. There are 16 numbers with a total time of well over an hour. For both sessions Peter Ecklund plays trumpet and cornet, Greg Cohen is on the bass(he's now playing with Ornette Coleman), and Marty plays his guitar. The following musicians are heard on session A or B. Chris Dawson and Keith Ingham are the pianists, Bobby Gordon, Dan Block, Scott Robinson, and Dan Levinson are on the reeds, Joel Hellenyi plays trombone on one session, and the drum chair is shared by Hal Smith and Artie Kinsella. Needless to say, the music is hot, swinging, and joyous with many fine solo spots and, as with all Marty Grosz recordings, the arrangements are terrific.



There are seven numbers with Marty's vocals and one that Peter Ecklund whistles on. The tunes were all penned back in the twenties and thirties, yet don't seem dated in the least. It's another gift that Marty has, giving these old songs a new life and with a vitality and vigour that transcends the ages. Performance and sound are both excellent on this warmly recommended disc from the good people at Jazzology."