Born in Chicago in 1946 to a musical family in which there were several professional musicians,
Marty Grebb learned to play keyboards, guitar, and saxophones. He became a session musician and in the '60s and '70s played with various groups, including
the Buckinghams and the Fabulous Rhinestones, and he also backed
Paul Butterfield and
Mike Bloomfield. He continued his session work through succeeding decades, working with artists such as
Rosanne Cash,
Rick Danko,
Levon Helm,
Willie Nelson,
Stevie Nicks,
Otis Rush, and
Leon Russell. In particular, he attracted attention for his contributions to records by
Bonnie Raitt and
Maria Muldaur.
Raitt appeared as a guest on
Grebb's 1999 debut,
Smooth Sailin', as did
Taj Mahal and
Steve Cropper.
Grebb also appeared on Telarc compilation albums such as Blues for a Rotten Afternoon,
Meet Me Where They Play the Blues, and Telarc's Got the Blues.
Marty Grebb died on January 1, 2020, at the age of 74.