John Pizzarelli – With a Song in my Heart – Telarc Jazz CD-83676, 43:12 ****:
(John Pizzarelli, guitar & vocals; Larry Fuller, piano; Martin Pizzarelli, bass; Tony Tedesco, drums; John Mosca, trombone and baritone horn; Kenny Berger, baritone sax and bass clarinet; Tony Kadleck, trumpet and Flugelhorn; Guests: Cesar Camargo Mariano, piano; Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar; Don Sebesky, arrangements)
Aaron Weinstein, violin & John Pizzarelli, guitar – Blue Too – Arbors Jazz ARCD 19355, 55:12 **** [Distr. by Allegro]:
I was waiting for the SACD version of Pizzarelli’s new album, but having learned there won’t be one, I thought I’d better cover this CD now. I remember the exciting early albums of John playing only instrumentally with his father, and I suppose for awhile there he fell into that category of guitarists who switch mostly to singing and I wish they hadn’t. But a string of great vocal outings for Telarc has changed my mind about Pizzarelli, and the first CD here continues his achievement.
In the past Pizzarelli has covered Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Jobim, Nat Cole and Shearing, among others. But he says in his notes he really hasn’t explored what he considers the “upper tier” of The Great American Songbook, and does so herewith focusing on one dozen tunes from Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by either Oscar Hammerstein II or Lorenz Hart. His backing band is terrific and his arrangements – many by the masterful Don Sebesky – support his hip, laid-back and informal delivery to a T. He even got two members of his family involved. I especially like the way Pizzarelli has selected not only Rodgers’ big hits but also some seldom-heard gems such as I Like to Recognize the Tune, and the closing You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught. Telarc also got Pizzarelli’s voice balance just right with the band so you can understand every word of the wonderful lyrics.
TrackList:
1. With A Song In My Heart
2. This Can’t Be Love
3. I Like To Recognize The Tune
4. It’s Easy to Remember
5. Johnny One Note
6. Nobody’s Heart
7. Happy Talk
8. Mountain Greenery
9. I Have Dreamed
10. The Lady Is A Tramp
11. She Was Too Good To Me
12. You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught
The second Pizzarelli CD has him demonstrating his instrumental talents, doing only one vocal on Don’t Be That Way. The tunes are a nice mix of ballads with up tempo numbers. Reducing the instrumental complement to just a violin and guitar really puts the spotlight on both performers. Plus, as Nat Hentoff says in his comment on the back of the jewel box, “a true jazz improviser can be his or her own rhythm section.” And that’s one of the many things I dig about this swinging album. Much of the time Pizzarelli is in accompaniment mode to hot violinist Weinstein, but occasionally their roles are reversed. They both vary the tone of their instruments depending on the particular tune. For example Weinstein plays rather slowly on the lower strings on Little White Lies. He almost sounds like a viola – more seductive and inveigling. Yet on You he really swings in the best hot fiddle style. A delightful duet set that should have wide appeal to many listeners.
TrackList:
1. I Want to Be Happy
2. Cocktails for Two
3. Little White Lies
4. Raggin’ the Scale
5. Blue Too
6. You
7. Don’t Be That Way
8. Diga Diga Doo
9. I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan
10. You Do Something to Me
11. Melancholy Lullaby
12. The Blue Room
13. I Wrote It For Jo
14. As Long As I’m Singing
— John Henry
