Just Groovin'

Different people remember the 1960s in different ways. Jazz-pop singer Diane Marino treats them as a source of love songs on Just Groovin. Marino boasts some '60s influences in her singing, which owes a little to Dinah Washington in its deliberation and a little to Shirley Bassey in its manner, although Marino's style is essentially buoyant and happy; she practically sounds pleased with herself much of the time. That's not a bad feel to get into '60s love songs, but the problem with the album lies in the arrangements, also by Marino. Simply put, nearly every one is the same, with a piano-based jazz accompaniment leading to a similar-sounding horn solo. The soloists are estimable, with people like Kirk Whalum and Houston Person. But after awhile the approach becomes predictable. Thus, when the pattern is broken, the songs stand out. In particular, the duet with Felix Cavaliere (who sang the original) on "Groovin'" is welcome, along with Cavaliere's Hammond B-3 organ solo. And Anthony LaMarchina's cello on "Never My Love" pleases if only because it isn't another horn. The use of the horn soloists couldn't be more deliberate — they even get credited on each song on the back cover. But the '60s, whatever one may think of them, was a time of experimentation and many different, even clashing styles. The '60s were never dull, but sometimes this album is.