Biography All Music Guide Wikipedia
All Music Guide:
Jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli is a technically proficient fretman with a soft voice, charming stage presence, and knack for uptempo swing. Most often performing in a trio setting sans drums, Pizzarelli has found his niche covering jazz standards and American Popular Song in his own urbane style. The son of journeyman swing guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, John began performing with his father at age 20 and made his recorded debut with his 1983 release, I'm Hip -- Please Don't Tell My Father. Growing up, John was exposed to the music of such jazz luminaries as Les Paul and Django Reinhardt, and he has justifiably drawn comparisons to both of these legendary guitarists.
Pizzarelli's updated old-school sound caught the ear of many jazz purists early on; notably, in 1993 the John Pizzarelli Trio opened various dates on Frank Sinatra's tour, eventually participating in the legendary vocalist's 80th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall. Interestingly, Pizzarelli's growing popularity garnered him a lead spot in the 1997 Broadway production of Dream, a tribute to composer Johnny Mercer. His 1998 RCA release, Meets the Beatles, found him reinterpreting classic songs by the iconic Liverpool quartet, while the following year he paid tribute to one of his biggest influences, pianist/vocalist Nat King Cole, on P.S. Mr. Cole. Pizzarelli then signed with the Telarc label in 1999 and released two standards-based albums, Kisses in the Rain and Let There Be Love, in 2000.
Since then, he has recorded an album with pianist George Shearing and celebrated ten years of performing with his trio by releasing the concert album Live at Birdland in 2003. Taking a break from swing, Pizzarelli released Bossa Nova in 2004. Largely featuring the works of Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, the album showcased the Pizzarelli Trio on such classics of the genre as "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Aguas de Marco (Waters of March)." In 2005 Pizzarelli returned to his usual fare of American standards with Knowing You (though he penned the title track), and backed by the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, paid his tribute to the legend himself with 2006's Dear Mr. Sinatra. With a Song in My Heart featuring the songs of composer Richard Rodgers followed in 2008.
Wikipedia:
John Paul Pizzarelli, Jr. (born April 6, 1960) is an American jazz guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader. He has had a lengthy career as a recording artist, performing for a variety of labels that include Telarc Records, RCA Records and Chesky Records, among others. He has recorded twenty-three albums of his own, as well as other joint recordings with his father, Bucky Pizzarelli. Additionally, he has appeared on more than forty albums of other recording artists, including those of James Taylor, Rosemary Clooney and his wife, Jessica Molaskey.
Biography
Career
Despite his young age, Pizzarelli has recorded nearly 40 albums of music, either as the leader or in tandem with other performers. Among others, Pizzarelli has recorded with such luminaries as George Shearing, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Frigo and Buddy DeFranco, as well as the Boston Pops Orchestra. Many if not most of his albums have received good to excellent reviews and are very popular sellers. Additionally, he has been a guest performer on numerous records throughout his career, for a total of over 140 albums.
Pizzarelli often performs with his own jazz quartet, composed of his brother Martin Pizzarelli on double-bass, drummer Tony Tedesco and Larry Fuller on piano. He is also sometimes compared to another jazz singer, Harry Connick, Jr., for his performances of jazz standards and overall popularity. John has appeared in commercials for Foxwoods Casino, and he and his wife are also hosts of their own jazz radio program (Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli).
Particularly lauded for his swinging interpretations of jazz standards, Pizzarelli also composes his own songs, some of which have achieved a sort of modern "standard" status in their own right. He is also a fan of bossa nova and released an album entirely composed of that type of music.
Perhaps his most famous and highly-regarded album, though, is Dear Mr. Cole, an album featuring Pizzarelli's versions of some of Nat "King" Cole's most famous songs. Interestingly, the John Pizzarelli Trio only appears together on track one of the album, Style is Back in Style. The rest of the album features Pizzarelli performing with Christian McBride on bass and Benny Green on piano.
Pizzarelli is also known for his winning personality, and his great rapport with audiences during his live performances has gone a long way to garnering him cachet with the jazz public. He is also known to sing his solo lines while playing his guitar. His major vocal influences include Nat Cole and New Jersey jazz singer/accordionist Joe Mooney, known for his relaxed singing style.
Pizzarelli also sings the theme for Foxwoods Casino, "The Wonder of It All."
Pizzarelli and his wife, singer Jessica Molaskey co-host the nationally syndicated weekly radio program "Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli."
He appeared on the March 31, 2007 episode of the NPR weekly radio news quiz, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me", on the "Not My Job" segment.
Personal life
Pizzarelli, an Italian American, was born in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. During childhood, Pizzarelli was a counselor at the now defunct Knights Day Camp. He grew up in Bergen County, New Jersey and attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey, an all-boys Roman Catholic High School. He frequently expresses pride about being from New Jersey; a fan favorite at his live shows is the Cosgriff-Bernardi number I Like Jersey Best, a largely humorous tribute to the Garden State.
Pizzarelli is a huge Boston Red Sox fan, and has played baseball (in one capacity or another) all his life. In high school he split his time between studying music and playing sports. As he once said in an interview: "I wasn't making any of the sports teams and I was a big sports fanatic. That's when I realized there was a reason why I was going to band practice." In April, 2007 he performed at the BLOHARDS luncheon at The Yale Club of New York City, the BLOHARDS being Red Sox Nation chapter in New York.
He married singer Jessica Molaskey in 1998, and the couple have a daughter, Madeleine Elizabeth, who attends Anderson. Pizzarelli also has a son, John Paul Pizzarelli, who is now attending college. They now live in New York City.
