John Pizzarelli: Live At Birdland auf 2 Super Audio CDs

„Die Leute zahlen eine Menge Geld, wenn sie kommen, um dich zu hören.“, sagt John Pizzarelli, und erklärt: „Da darfst du dich nicht einfach hinsetzen und deinen Set herunterspulen. Du musst jedes Mal dein Bestes geben und die Leute perfekt unterhalten. Und dazu zählt meiner Ansicht nach auch, dass ich dem Publikum etwas zu meiner Musik erzähle.“ Ausgiebig Gebrauch machte er davon, als er im September 2002 im New Yorker Club Birdland das zehnjährige Bestehen seines Trios feierte. Der Sohn des legendären Gitarristen Bucky Pizzarelli, der zu Beginn seiner Karriere schon als Teenager mit seinem Vater und dem Saxofonisten Zoot Sims aufgetreten war, begreift sich als Entertainer im Sinne von Nat King Cole. Und er zelebriert dies mit witzigen Einlagen, bei denen er seine Fans direkt anspricht. Nicht weniger als 36 (!) Stücke präsentiert er jetzt von den Liveauftritten unter dem Titel Live At Birdland. Zusammen mit seinen langjährigen Begleitern - Ray Kennedy am Piano und Bruder Martin Pizzarelli am Bass - schwelgt der Gitarrist und Sänger in sentimentalen Balladen, scattet er sich durch Standards, bekennt er sich zum Swing, verneint aber auch nicht Popmusik, Blues und Folk mit Kompositionen von James Taylor, Alberta Hunter oder Billy Rose. Das Ergebnis ist eine höchst unterhaltsame Doppel-CD von einem der wenigen Jazzer, der auch das Prädikat Entertainer verdient.

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Jazz vocalist and guitarist John Pizzarelli’s cool and classy live performances have earned him an army of fans who can’t get enough of his hip, intelligent style. This 2-CD set, Live at Birdland, celebrates the 10th anniversary of the John Pizzarelli Trio (with brother Martin Pizzarelli on bass and Ray Kennedy on piano), one of the tightest ensembles around.

Live at Birdland, recorded September 2002 at the famed New York jazz club, features two James Taylor tracks (“Mean Old Man” from October Road and “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”),” George and Ira Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” and “Isn’t It a Pity,” Rodgers and Hart’s “Manhattan,” a pair of Rosemary Clooney staples (“Moonlight Becomes You” and “Will You Still Be Mine”), three older originals (“Oh, How My Heart Beats for You,” “Better Run Before It’s Spring” and “The Day I Found You”) and a classic rendition of Joseph Cosgriff’s “I Like Jersey Best.” Pianist Kennedy contributes two instrumentals (“Gospel Truth” and “Tea for Tatum”), while guest Grover Kemble sings on Alberta Hunter’s “My Castle’s Rockin’” and another original, “Headed Out to Vera’s.”

The son of the legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli was born in 1960 in Paterson, New Jersey. Taught by his father, John sat in with Bucky and Zoot Sims at a 1980 concert and has played duets with the older Pizzarelli on an occasional basis ever since. He started working in Tony Monte’s trio in 1986, and went solo four years later. Since then, he’s built a solid career as a singer, guitarist and interpreter of the great American songbook. He has recorded as a leader for Stash, Chesky, Novus and RCA, and in 1997 appeared in a Broadway production of Johnny Mercer songs called Dream. Pizzarelli signed with Telarc in 2000 and released Kisses in the Rain. Later that year came Let There Be Love, and in 2002 he collaborated with pianist George Shearing on The Rare Delight of You. Pizzarelli’s broad-based appeal has recently earned him a great deal of exposure, including appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. As a high-profile jazz artist, Pizzarelli believes that it’s his responsibility to educate as well as entertain, and on Live at Birdland he demonstrates just how well he can work a crowd.

“People shouldn’t be afraid of jazz,” Pizzarelli says. “They pay a lot of money to come and hear you play. You can’t just sit there and go, ‘You will listen to this, and you will like it.’ You owe them an entertaining experience, too—you should talk to them and tell them about the songs you’re doing.”

Jazz standards, sentimental ballads, bouyant pop—Live at Birdland has it all. On this unique 2-disc set, John Pizzarelli’s gifts as a musician, entertainer and disciple of Nat King Cole are a match for any of today’s jazz-pop musicians. (concordmusicgroup. com)

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