Back for the first time in more than 25 years, MAXINE SULLIVAN: Great Songs From the Cotton Club by Arlen & Koehler this award winning album has already been Grammy nominated and has won the NAIRD award for Best Female Jazz Vocalist. This album was carried on many top ten lists, and brought Maxine Sullivan’s five decade career to a climax. Maxine Sullivan and her husband John Kirby became the first African American jazz stars to have a regular radio program. After her retirement, Maxine formed The House That Jazz Built in the South Bronx, which supports jazz education programs for children.

Marty Grosz and Mike Peters recorded these duets informally over a seven year period. It is rare to hear Jazz guitarists performing duets on acoustic instruments and this collaboration is a tribute to Eddie Lang, Carl Kress and Dick McDonough. Such classics as Chicken a La Swing, Eddie's Twister, Danzon and Minuet in Miniature are given sensitive interpretations while the duo improvise on jazz material such as Jubilee, I've Found a New Baby, the Mooche and If Dreams Come True. 20 tracks total.

One of jazz music's great comedians, 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. The material on this 15 track CD was recorded in Germany on Nov. 19th, 2001 (one track was recorded Dec. 13th, 2000). Marty is joined by trumpeter Randy Reinhart, clarinet/saxophonist Frank Roberscheuten, bassist Nico Gastreich and drummer Moritz Gastreich.

1986 release.

REMEMBERING LOUIS W. JON