BUCKY PIZZARELLI - Challis In Wonderland (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bucky Pizzarelli salutes arranger Bill Challis, who was responsible for many of the most important charts played by the Jean Goldkette Orchestra and Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, along with helping transcribe the handful of compositions by legendary cornetist Bix Beiderbecke. In his eighties at the time of these sessions, the seven-string guitarist shows no signs of slowing down, joined by bassist Jerry Bruno and on a few tracks adding his son John on guitar or a swinging string quartet led by the talented young violinist Aaron Weinstein with string arrangements by Dick Lieb. Most of the repertoire includes music of the '20s and '30s, with two exceptions. Pizzarelli's original "Challis in Wonderland" is a lush, laid-back ballad saluting the arranger performed as a guitar duet, while Bob Haggart's timeless ballad "What's New" has long been a part of the leader's repertoire. Zez Confrey (the novelty pianist and composer of "Kitten on the Keys") penned the obscure "Romanza," played as an intimate father/son duet. The trio's intricate reading of Beiderbecke's "In the Dark" is a lyrical masterpiece. Pizzarelli is buoyed by the strings in his breezy, toe-tapping rendition of Beiderbecke's "Davenport Blues," while the cornetist's "In a Mist" has long been a brilliant, expected solo feature for the guitarist at jazz parties. Weinstein switches to mandolin for a swinging setting of "Oh Baby" with the leader and Bruno. These rewarding sessions by Bucky Pizzarelli provide ample proof that the master guitarist keeps the spirits of Bix Beiderbecke and Bill Challis very much alive. by Ken Dryden   
Tracklist
1 Sunday 4:59
Chester Cohn / Bennie Krueger / Ned Miller / Jule Stein
2 Sugar 4:05
Edna Alexander / Sidney D. Mitchell / Maceo Pinkard
3 Challis in Wonderland 4:01
Bucky Pizzarelli
4 Davenport Blues 7:09
Bix Beiderbecke
5 In the Dark 3:00
Bix Beiderbecke
6 Romanza 1:29
Zez Comfrey
7 Singing the Blues 5:38
Con Conrad / Sam M. Lewis / J. Russel Robinson / Joe Young
8 In a Mist  4:52
Bix Beiderbecke
9 Oh Baby  3:40
Owen Murphy
10 Sugar 5:55
Edna Alexander / Sidney D. Mitchell / Maceo Pinkard
11 Candlelights 5:11
Bix Beiderbecke
12 What's New 6:38
Johnny Burke / Bob Haggart
13 I'm Coming Virginia 4:54
Will Marion Cook / Donald Heywood
14 Flashes 2:58
Bix Beiderbecke
Personnel:
Bucky Pizzarelli - acoustic guitar, 7-string guitar
John Pizzarelli - 7-string guitar
Jerry Bruno - bass
Dick Lieb Strings:
Aaron Weinstein - violin, mandolin
Svetlana Tsoneva - violin
Olivia Koppell - viola
Jesse Levy - cello

BUCKY PIZZARELLI - Challis In Wonderland 

(2011) ARBORS / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa