Saturday night I had the joy...yes, the JOY...of listening to some excellent jazz at the Sheldon, a relatively small and acoustically superior venue in St. Louis, which hosts primarily folk, jazz or bluegrass concerts.
We joined 3 other couples for dinner before heading down to listen to - and watch - the John Pizzarelli Quartet. We were introduced to Mr. Pizzarelli several years ago by one of the couples who loaned us some of his CDs. I thought he was good enough...until the first time I saw him perform (Saturday was my 3rd).
His voice ranges from moderately good to exquisite at times, but his guitar playing is nothing short of astounding; plus he is quite the entertainer...charming, funny, humble, unassuming...and a handsome New Jersey Italian to boot! Mr. Pizzarelli hails from a jazz family - his father is Bucky Pizzarelli (which actually means nothing to most people!) - and his brother, Martin, is part of his Quartet. Each member of the quartet is as accomplished on his respective instrument (drums, bass, piano), as John is on his guitar. His wife, Jessica Molaskey, is also a musician...she sings the old pop standards, plus Broadway tunes...and she joined him on stage Saturday. Delightful...
If you ever have the chance to see him, don't miss it!
No comments:
Post a Comment