As the son of legendary big-band guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli has brought jazz music to a whole new generation of listeners.
Pizzarelli's specialty is the torch song from the Great American Songbook: those jazzy, romantic ballads penned by the likes of Rogers and Hart, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Johnny Mercer and so many others.
Growing up in a musical household, it was not uncommon for John to listen in as his dad and Frank Sinatra sat at the piano. Cocktails in hand, the two would huddle late into the night, going over arrangements for "Night and Day," or "I Thought About You."
Despite their kinship, father and son are musically quite different.
Bucky's style ranges from the chunking chords of the Dixieland banjo to the rapid, rhythmic changes of the modern big band. John, on the other hand, favors a slower, smoother style of guitar and vocals, influenced primarily by Nat King Cole.
Like Cole - and unlike many modern singers who turn every song into a showcase for their vocal range - John lets the music and the lyrics speak for themselves. As a result, his CDs are a perfect accompaniment to a romantic candlelit dinner or a night sitting on the deck or in front of the fireplace.
-- David Witter
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