Monday, April 18, 2011

Musical Monday: John Pizzarelli

I have the good fortune of having friends who introduced me, about 12 years ago, to the music of Mr. John Pizzarelli.  I have the additional good fortune of living in St. Louis, a city which appreciates his talent enough to bring him here annually, so that we groupies can flock to his performances.

The man is, without question, a performer.  Not only is he a master of the jazz guitar, his personality and humor are equally charming, making him a delight to listen to and watch.

Pizzarelli most often performs with his quartet: Larry Fuller on piano, Tony Tedesco on drums, and John's younger brother, Martin, on bass.  These four work together like a well-oiled machine.  

On Saturday at Sheldon Concert Hall, the quartet was accompanied by a swinging horn section as they entertained us with Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, and some Duke Ellington.  As usual, our horde of 15 sat enraptured through 2 hours of superb performance by all 8 musicians.  

If you aren't yet familiar with Pizzarelli's music, I highly recommend that you allow yourself that joy!  Of his 20+ albums, my favorites are:

Here's a sample performance by him and brother, Martin: