Dick Gratton at All About Jazz

DICK GRATTON started playing guitar professionally in the fifties and has performed primarily in the Central New Jersey area. He has played with many jazz groups and vocalists during the past 50 years at many area night clubs such as the Greenwood Grill, the Mill Hill Saloon, the Tremont Lounge, the Centre House Pub, the Urban Word Cafe and Marsilio's Restaurant in Trenton NJ, the Nassau Inn in Princeton NJ and the Farnsworth House and Conrad's Restaurant in Bordentown NJ. In addition to his night club appearances, Dick has performed in concert at the Trenton NJ Mill Hill Playhouse and New Jersey State Museum, led jazz groups at annual dinners for the American Federation Of Musicians Of Trenton NJ, played at many of Trenton's official functions such as press conferences, annual Trenton Preservation Awards ceremonies and Heritage Days Festivals and played in a six piece jazz group at the opening of the 1998 Trenton Jazz Festival at Waterfront Park in Trenton NJ with special guest Richie Cole on saxophone. Dick has also performed with the late great jazz guitarist Tal Farlow in guitar workshops in Philadelphia PA as well as jazz clubs in Philadelphia PA and the Jersey shore. Influenced by guitarists Gene Bertoncini, Tony Mottola and Wes Montgomery and pianists Bill Evans, John Coates Jr. and Dick Braytenbah, Dick has been performing solo for the most part since 1999, appearing regularly at many area night clubs and private events between Baltimore MD, Harrisburg PA and upstate New York and New England.

UNLIKE MANY MUSICIANS, you will not hear Dick try to pack as many notes as he can in a measure of music. His style of playing has been described as laid back and articulate - the kind of mainstream jazz that consists of original, colorful and unusual arrangements yet retains a recognizable melody and doesn't challenge the nervous system.

OBSERVATIONS include Philadelphia area vibes and percussion artist Randy Sutin who states, “Dick Gratton is sort of in the Tal Farlow mold with his acoustic guitar with his own unique way of doing things. He knows a million tunes and he doesn't sound like all of the other guitarists.” Vic Bodine, a music columnist for the Trenton NJ newspaper The Trentonian noted in 1971, “Dick Gratton gives one the impression that when he entered this world, he had that jazz guitar with him.”

AREA JAZZ WRITERS and fellow musicians alike agree that Dick Gratton is “definitely one of the guitarists you should try to hear.”