John Pizzarelli
![]() | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (April 2020) |
John Pizzarelli | |
---|---|
![]() Pizzarelli at the 2014 Detroit Jazz Festival | |
Background information | |
Birth name | John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. |
Born | Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. | April 6, 1960
Genres | Jazz, swing |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, composer |
Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
Years active | 1980–present |
Labels | P-Vine, Chesky, Novus, RCA, Telarc, Arbors, Concord |
Associated acts | Bucky Pizzarelli, Martin Pizzarelli, Jessica Molaskey, Ray Kennedy |
Website | www |
John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960, in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist. He has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Rosemary Clooney; his father, jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli; and his wife, singer Jessica Molaskey.
Early life[]
The son of swing guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He started on guitar when he was six and played trumpet through his college years.[1] He attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School, an all-boys Catholic school. In his teens, he performed with Benny Goodman, Les Paul, Zoot Sims, Slam Stewart, and Clark Terry.[2]
Pizzarelli attended the University of Tampa and William Paterson University, though he has said that his most important teacher was his father from 1980 to 1990.[1] During the 1980s, he established himself as a jazz guitarist and a vocalist. He released his debut solo album, I'm Hip (Please Don't Tell My Father), in 1983.[3]
Career[]
During the 1990s, Pizzarelli played in a trio with Ray Kennedy and Martin Pizzarelli, his younger brother. In 1993, the trio was the opening act for Frank Sinatra. Four years later, Pizzarelli starred in Dream, a Broadway show devoted to the music of Johnny Mercer.[1][3] He has named Nat King Cole as the inspiration for his career[1] and honors that influence in the albums Dear Mr. Cole (BMG, 1994) and P.S. Mr. Cole (RCA, 1999). He has also recorded tribute albums to Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Richard Rodgers, and Paul McCartney.[3] He and his father accompanied Annie Ross on her album To Lady with Love (Red Anchor, 2014), a tribute to Billie Holiday that Ross recorded when she was eighty-four.[4]
He has hosted a national radio show, Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli, with his wife, singer and actress Jessica Molaskey.[1] Other musicians he has worked with include George Shearing, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the Boston Pops Orchestra, and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.[5]
He sang the 1999 big-band jingle for Foxwoods Resort Casino, titled "The Wonder of It All."[6]
Pizzarelli was a co-producer of the James Taylor album American Standard, which was nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album" on November 24, 2020.[7]
Personal life[]
Pizzarelli's father died on April 1, 2020, from complications to COVID-19.[8] Pizzarelli's mother died one week later on April 8, 2020.[9][10]
Discography[]
As leader[]
- I'm Hip (Please Don't Tell My Father) (Stash Records, 1983)
- Hit That Jive, Jack! (Stash Records, 1985)
- Sing! Sing! Sing! (Stash Records, 1987)
- My Blue Heaven (Chesky Records, 1990)
- All of Me (Novus Records, 1992)
- Naturally (Novus Records, 1993)
- New Standards (Novus Records, 1994)
- Dear Mr. Cole (Novus Records, 1994)
- After Hours (RCA Records, 1996)
- Let's Share Christmas (RCA Records, 1996)
- Our Love Is Here to Stay (RCA Records, 1997)
- Meets the Beatles (RCA Records, 1998)
- P.S. Mr. Cole (RCA Records, 1999)
- Kisses in the Rain (Telarc, 2000)
- Let There Be Love (Telarc, 2000)
- The Rare Delight of You (Telarc, 2002)
- Live at Birdland (Telarc, 2003)
- Bossa Nova (Telarc, 2004)
- Knowing You (Telarc, 2005)
- Just Friends (Mel Bay, 2006)
- Dear Mr. Sinatra (Telarc, 2006)
- With a Song in My Heart (Telarc, 2008)
- Rockin' in Rhythm: A Tribute to Duke Ellington (Telarc, 2010)
- Double Exposure (Telarc, 2012) with Tessa Souter
- John Pizzarelli Salutes Johnny Mercer: Live at Birdland (Vector, 2015)
- Midnight McCartney (Concord Records, 2015)
- Sinatra & Jobim @ 50 (Concord Records, 2017)
- (Ghostlight Records, 2019)
With Bucky Pizzarelli
- Nirvana, Bucky Pizzarelli (Delta, 1995)
- Contrasts (Arbors, 1999)
- Twogether (Victrola, 2001)
- Around the World in 80 Years, Bucky Pizzarelli (Victoria, 2006)
- Generations (Arbors, 2007)
- Sunday at Pete's, The Pizzarelli Boys (Challenge, 2007)
- Pizzarelli Party, Arbors All Stars (Arbors, 2009)
- Diggin' Up Bones, Bucky Pizzarelli (Arbors, 2009)
- Desert Island Dreamers, The Pizzarelli Boys (Arbors, 2010)
- Back in the Saddle Again, Bucky Pizarelli (Arbors, 2010)
- Passionate Guitars (2010)
- Family Fugue (Arbors, 2011)
With Jessica Molaskey
- Pentimento (Image, 2002)
- A Good Day (PS Classics, 2003)
- Make Believe (PS Classics, 2004)
- Sitting in Limbo (PS Classics, 2007)
- A Kiss to Build a Dream On (Arbors, 2008)
As Record Producer or co-producer[]
With James Taylor and
- American Standards (Fantasy Records, 2020)[11]
As sideman or guest[]
With Monty Alexander
- My America (Telarc, 2002)
With Harry Allen
- Are You Having Any Fun? (Audiophile Records, 1994)
- Tenors Anyone? (Slider, 2004)
With Sam Arlen
- Arlen Plays Arlen: The Timeless Tribute to Harold Arlen (Arbors, 2005)
With Debby Boone
- Reflections of Rosemary (Concord Records, 2005)
With Cheryl Bentyne
- The Book of Love (Telarc, 2006)
With Ray Brown
- Some of My Best Friends Are...Guitarists (Telarc, 2002)
With Rosemary Clooney
- Do You Miss New York? (Concord Records, 1993)
- Brazil (Concord Records, 2000)
With Kristin Chenoweth
- A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas (Sony, 2008)
With Buddy DeFranco
- Cookin' the Books (Arbors, 2004)
With Karen Egert
- That Thing Called Love (2007)
With Johnny Frigo
- Live from Studio A in New York City (Chesky Records, 1989)
With Natalie Cole
- Stardust (Elektra Records, 1996)
With Sara Gazarek
- Blossom & Bee (Palmetto Records, 2012)
With Stephane Grappelli
- Live at the Blue Note (Telarc, 1995)
With Skitch Henderson and Bucky Pizzarelli
- Legends (Arbors, 2003)
With Hilary Kole
- Haunted Heart
With Erich Kunzel
- Got Swing! (Telarc, 2002)
- Christmastime Is Here (Telarc, 2006)
- Vibrate (Telarc, 2004)
With Paul McCartney
- Kisses on the Bottom (Hear Music, 2012)
With Jane Monheit
- Home (2010)
With Rickie Lee Jones
- It's Like This (Artemis Records, 2000)
With Donnie O'Brien
- Meets Manhattan Swing in a Basie Mood (Arbors, 2003)
With Curtis Stigers
- Real Emotional (Concord, 2007)
With James Taylor
- October Road (Sony, 2002)
- A Christmas Album (Hallmark Cards, 2004)
- James Taylor at Christmas (Columbia Records, 2006)
- American Standards (Fantasy Records, 2020)
With Aaron Weinstein
- A Handful of Stars (Arbors, 2005)
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Yanow, Scott (2013). The Great Jazz Guitarists. San Francisco: Backbeat. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-61713-023-6.
- ^ Lamb, Buzz (January 2016). "John Pizzarelli" (PDF). Jazz and Blues Florida. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Collar, Matt. "John Pizzarelli". AllMusic. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
- ^ Loudon, Christopher (January 11, 2015). "Annie Ross: To Lady with Love". JazzTimes. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
- ^ John Pizzarelli's Complete Discography Archived September 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine at albumcredits.com
- ^ "Meet Me At Foxwoods (FULL) (1:01)". YouTube. March 18, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ "2021 GRAMMYs: Complete Nominees List'". November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ Westhoven, William (April 2, 2020). "Jazz-guitar great Bucky Pizzarelli dies at 94 after testing positive for coronavirus". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/07/28/nj-coronavirus-bucky-and-ruth-pizzarelli-complemented-each-other-for-66-years/5356448002/
- ^ https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/northjersey/name/ruth-pizzarelli-obituary?pid=195970449
- ^ "James Taylor Official Site'". February 28, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
External links[]
- Official website
- Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli
- Live performance photographs May 15, 2006, Jazz Alley, Seattle
- 1960 births
- Living people
- American jazz guitarists
- American jazz singers
- American jazz songwriters
- American people of Italian descent
- Chesky Records artists
- Novus Records artists
- RCA Records artists
- Telarc Records artists
- Concord Records artists
- Don Bosco Preparatory High School alumni
- Musicians from Paterson, New Jersey
- Guitarists from New Jersey
- Singers from New Jersey
- Swing guitarists
- Swing singers
- Seven-string guitarists
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 21st-century American guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American male musicians