[Dixielandjazz] John Pizzarelli reviewed - Kansas City Star

[Robert Ringwald]

John Pizzarelli Makes Nostalgia Swing at the Folly
by Bill Brownlee
Kansas City Star, April 15, 2012
Thirty years after the final episode of "The Lawrence Welk Show" was taped, the program
lives on in reruns on public television. The variety show appeals to people harboring
nostalgia for a pre-rock 'n' roll era in which respect for tradition and tasteful
musicianship were treasured. If the concept were to be revived, John Pizzarelli would
make an ideal new host.
During his performance Saturday at the Folly Theater, Pizzarelli demonstrated the
qualities that make him so beloved to fans of conventional swing and reverently rendered
standards. Handsome, engaging and eager to please, Pizzarelli masterfully entertained
an audience of about 500 people.
"You're not going to be cheated on the music," Pizzarelli said early in the evening.
"And certainly not on the talk."
He was right on both counts. When he wasn't chattering with the audience, the loquacious
Pizzarelli led his band through two very different sets. An established figure in
the jazz world, Pizzarelli, 52, is comparable to a guitar-slinging Michael Feinstein
or a Michael Buble with genuine jazz chops. Pizzarelli's band -- pianist Larry Fuller,
bassist Martin Pizzarelli and drummer Tony Tedesco -- offered discrete support.
The first set included engaging material from the forthcoming album "Double Exposure."
The project presents pop songs in jazz settings. A delightfully seductive version
of Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" and a tender reading of Billy Joel's "Rosalinda's
Eyes" were revelations. A mashup of Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder" and the Beatles'
"I Feel Fine" was surprisingly successful. Pizzarelli repeatedly poked fun at the
concept.
"I know what you're thinking," he said. "'When are they going to mix the Allman Brothers
and Wes Montgomery?'"
It wasn't joke. The remarkable juxtaposition of the Southern rock act's "In Memory
of Elizabeth Reed" and Montgomery's "Four on Six" dazzled. The far more conventional
second set focused on material associated with Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington.
Selections including "You Make Me Feel So Young" and "Witchcraft" were tiresome and
slightly smarmy. Ellington material like "Satin Doll" was similarly listless.
Part of the problem was Pizzarelli's wispy singing. While his voice is a limited
instrument, he's an exceptional guitarist. His solo on "I'm an Errand Boy for Rhythm"
evoked the brilliant twang of Les Paul. An unaccompanied rendering of "Just Squeeze
Me (But Please Don't Tease Me)" served as a brief clinic in tasteful discretion.
A first-call session musician, Pizzarelli, along with his father, Bucky, plays guitar
on Paul McCartney's new album of standards. The prestigious credit is well deserved.
Like Pizzarelli, McCartney realizes that wistfully nostalgic jazz need not sound
commonplace.