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CD Review: Marty Grosz And Destiny's Tots-
Songs I Learned At My Mother's Knee & Other Low Joints

Label: Jazzology Records
Personnel: Marty Grosz guitar, vocals
Keith Ingham piano; Greg Cohen bass; Chuck Riggs drums; Peter Ecklund cornet; Dick Meldonian tenor sax; Bob Pring trombone; Randy Sandke trumpet; Ken Peplowski alto sax/clarinet; Joel Helleny trombone

Marty Grosz is an acoustic guitarist extraordinaire,  an ebullient singer, and a purveyor of joyous music. The CD offered here is titled Songs I Learned At My Mother's Knee And Other Low Joints and nicely conveys the twinkle eyed humor of this one-of-a-kind jazzman.

In a world rather empty of good natured fun, Marty Grosz takes the romantic songs of the 20's & 30's and performs them with a zest that beautifully recaptures the spirit of that time. Like Louis Armstrong and especially Fats Waller, Marty does it with an infectious swing that is the essence of jazz.

Surrounding himself with some of the finest jazz players in NYC, Grosz sketches nifty arrangements for them, providing plenty of solo space for first class improvising. Marty also demonstrates his mastery of acoustic guitar chord soloing, an almost lost art, at which he is simply stellar.

A special treat for me is the revelation of reed man Dick Meldonian's superb clarinet playing. On a couple of trio tracks, he reveals himself as the best of those few disciples of Lester Young who chose to also tackle the clarinet. Meldonian does it with a looseness and relaxation few others achieved.

Want your spirits lifted? Get this CD. It is marvelous, swinging jazz and would make a great gift to anyone you know who needs cheering up - including you!

- Bob Sparkman

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