By Spotlight Central, Photos by Love Imagery
originally published: 02/05/2016
On Saturday, January 30, 2016, virtuoso jazz guitarist, John Pizzarelli, graced the stage of the Jay and Linda Grunin Center at Ocean County College in Toms River, NJ. Accompanied by a trio of some of the finest jazz musicians around, Pizzarelli, with his signature 7-string guitar, treated the audience to a delightful evening of jazz.
Grooving like a well-oiled machine, the show began with classics from the “great American songbook” by George and Ira Gershwin featuring the talented instrumentalists’ tasteful licks with Pizzarelli’s effortless vocals floating over the quartet. The musicians complemented each other with John’s vocals and guitar chords creating a template for the bedrock bass to slide over and up and down with.
At times, Pizzarelli’s amazing scatting seemed as if his voice was running away while his guitar jogged along at a frenetic pace, stimulating listeners from their ears to their toes in a way that only well-played jazz can. His musical gymnastics played at such a blinding foot-tapping speed, demanding that his band members — on drum kit, string bass, and grand piano — simply get in, sit down, shut up, hold on, and play for their lives!
In addition to the sublime craftsmanship of the Gershwins, the program included pieces created by other master songwriters who could tell a story so explicitly that one could figure out the titles from the lyrics — anticipating the words due to the structure of the rhyme, making the music predictable and comfortable, but, then, suddenly, exciting and new by the craft of the American jazz idiom and these master players. This is what makes music ART!
Further, along with his virtuoso playing and singing, Pizzarelli is a masterful storyteller, weaving tales of the days when he and his father, jazz legend Bucky Pizzarelli, rubbed elbows with the likes of guitar genius Les Paul and, also, updating the audience on his dad’s current status, just as if they were guests in his own home. John’s story of how his latest album, “Midnight McCartney,” came about, and his rendition of songs from that album — including My Love, Silly Love Songs, and the exquisite Warm and Beautiful — show the true versatility and musicianship of this timeless performer proving that great composers can write immortal songs which can be interpreted in an infinite number of ways.
True art transcends genre and labels and restraints.
John Pizzarelli is a true artist.
For information and tickets to future performances in the “Living Legends” series at The Jay and Linda Grunin Center at Ocean County College — including Peter Paul & Mary’s Peter Yarrow on Feb. 6 and Aaron Neville on Mar. 18 — go to grunincenter.org.
Photos by Love Imagery
Spotlight Central. Your source for Jersey entertainment news and reviews
Love Imagery Fine Art Photography. all you need. peace/love/flower/power
