Young males pick up the guitar for one reason: Young women.
As the years roll by, many of the greats spill their secrets in spicy memoirs. (See Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, et al.)
Others, like Grover Kemble, prefer to leave a few things to the imagination . . . as he does quite wickedly in this tune, Oh Grover, delivered with a wry assist from bassist Tim Metz at The Minstrel.
Friday’s show was one of those special Minstrel nights with two headliners. Jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli and his superb protégé, Ed Laub, were billed as the main act, and they lived up to that billing.
But Grover, formerly of Za Zu Zaz and Sha Na Na, and Tim are showmen of the first order and easily could have carried the evening.
(The only disappointment: Grover and Bucky did not duet together. In the green room, the buttoned-down Bucky sized up Grover’s casual-cool attire and cracked: “Did you leave your suitcase on the plane?”)
Keep an eye out for Grover in an upcoming documentary about Greystone Park State Psychiatric Hospital, where for years he calmed troubled souls with music therapy. He also is producing a tribute to the late comedian Jimmy Durante; stay tuned.
As for tales from his wild youth, Grover the Guitar Man remains the perfect gentleman. Well, okay, nobody’s perfect.
In a shout-out from the stage, he acknowledged a lady in the audience, his former chiropractor.
“She gave good adjustments,” Grover deadpanned.
BUCKY PIZZARELLI, TIMELESS JAZZMAN, REVEALS HIS SECRET AT MINSTREL
