Jazz / Classic Jazz, New Orleans Jazz Revival
Recorded: Feb 25, 1995
Marty Grosz - Guitar, Vocals, Photography
Ben Ahrens Mixing
Bernd Schultze Engineer
Chuck Riggs Drums
Florian Sommer Digital Remastering
Frank Nagel-Heyer Liner Notes, Producer
Greg Cohen Bass
Hans Nagel-Hayer Liner Notes, Producer
Jon-Erik Kellso Trumpet
Martin Litton Piano
Sabine Nagel-Heyer Producer
Scott Robinson Sax (Baritone), Clarinet, Sax (Soprano)
For this live concert from Hamburg, Germany, guitarist/vocalist Marty Grosz called his pickup sextet "the Swinging Fools." With trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and Scott Robinson on clarinet, soprano and baritone (who are assisted by pianist Martin Litton, bassist Greg Cohen and drummer Chuck Riggs), Grosz had two contrasting soloists who blended together well and took chances within the Dixieland/swing genre. The leader contributes some excellent chordal acoustic guitar solos and a few humorous vocals. The highpoints of the date include "Rose of the Rio Grande," "Nobody's Sweetheart," "Old Man Blues," "Swing That Music" and "Ring Dem Bells." An excellent outing. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Marty Grosz
Active Decades: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: Feb 28, 1930 in Berlin, Germany
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Dixieland Revival
One of jazz music's great comedians (his spontaneous monologs are often hilarious), Marty Grosz is a brilliant acoustic guitarist whose chordal solos bring back the sound of Carl Kress and Dick McDonough of the 1930s, while his vocals are very much in the Fats Waller tradition. It took Grosz a long time to get some visibility. He grew up in New York, attended Columbia University, and in 1951 led a Dixieland band with Dick Wellstood that was unrecorded. Based in Chicago, Grosz did record with Dave Remington, Art Hodes, and Albert Nicholas in the 1950s; led sessions of his own in 1957 and 1959 for Riverside and Audio Fidelity; and tried his best to coax Jabbo Smith out of retirement (some of their rehearsals were later released on LP), but was pretty obscure until he joined Soprano Summit (1975-1979). After that association ended, Grosz became a busy freelancer on the classic jazz scene, playing with Dick Sudhalter, Joe Muryani, and Dick Wellstood in the Classic Jazz Quartet, and later heading the Orphan Newsboys, a superb quartet that also includes Peter Ecklund, Bobby Gordon, and bassist Greg Cohen. Marty Grosz, a unique personality, has recorded several delightful sets for Jazzology and Stomp Off.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
