SARA GAZAREK – Blossom & Bee (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Sara Gazarek is one of the most winning vocalists on the current jazz scene, a singer with a voice as clear and pure as mountain air, great taste in arrangements, and a hint of wicked humor in both her repertoire and her delivery. She is also a talented songwriter herself, and on her third album as a leader she displays all of these gifts in abundance. Here she works in close collaboration with pianist, organist, and composer Larry Goldings; they are joined by bassist Hamilton Price, drummer Zach Harmon, and pianist Josh Nelson, as well as by guest artist John Pizzarelli (who sings and plays guitar on the wonderful "Blossom & Bee" and contributes rhythm guitar to a pleasingly hard-swinging arrangement of the vaudeville song "Some of These Days"). Gazarek's musical vision is wide-ranging, and on this album jazz is more of a touchstone than a straitjacket -- it's what connects the romantic Ben Folds ballad "The Luckiest" with an alternately funky and swinging rendition of "Down with Love," and bridges the divide between the Blossom Dearie weeper "The Lies of Handsome Men" and a delightful take on the Schoolhouse Rock! classic "Unpack Your Adjectives." And it's what turns "So This Is Love," perhaps the most affecting of all Disney movie songs, into a deliciously swaying bossa nova, complete with a fantastic scat section. This is an utterly captivating album, one on which all musical barriers seem permeable and Gazarek's voice is a source of constant delight. Rick Anderson  
Tracklist  :
1    Everything I've Got    3:26
2    Blossom & Bee    3:36
3    Fly Away Birdie    4:31
4    The Luckiest    4:19
5    Down With Love    4:46
6    Lucky To Be Me    5:33
7    Tea For Two    6:10
8    I'm Old Fashioned    5:01
9    So This Is Love    4:14
10    The Lies Of Handsome Men    5:36
11    Some Of These Days    4:49
12    Unpack Your Adjectives    3:46
Credits :
Bass – Hamilton Price
Drums – Zach Harmon
Guest, Vocals, Guitar – John Pizzarelli
Organ, Piano, Melodica, Producer – Larry Goldings
Piano, Keyboards – Josh Nelson
Vocals, Glockenspiel – Sara Gazarek

JOHN PIZZARELLI — P.S. Mr. Cole (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Just as when we listen to Harry Connick, Jr., there's a sense that John Pizzarelli is an old soul who is living back in the 1940s and '50s golden age of music and that listeners are time-traveling with him. But that just bears testament to the timeless nature of his easy vocals, lush and often snappy electric guitar work and the loving way he embraces classic material. P.S. Mr. Cole, the follow-up to Dear Mr. Cole is as, pardon the expression, unforgettable as his first tribute to the grace and panache of Nat King Cole. Just as with his recent tribute to the Beatles, Pizzarelli is just fine on the soft, sparse ballads but saves his most interesting interpretations for swinging trio arrangements. Because this is the sequel, the tunes aren't all household hums, and that makes this even more interesting. "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" swings gently along, breaks for a colorful guitar-piano duet (with Ray Kennedy), then speeds up towards the dramatic conclusion. "Welcome to the Club," whose lyric marvelously chronicles the shared experience of being a fool in love, opens with the singer scatting over a buoyant rhythm section (cleverly belying the melancholy nature of the theme). Other titles he adds his unique flair to are "The Late Late Show," "Tenderly," and Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" (which could have perhaps been done with a little more wryness). Recently Pizzarelli declared that he's not intimidated putting his own originals alongside classics, and his tribute tune, "That's Nat," is one of the most adventurous pieces here. Perhaps Pizzarelli should do a few duets next time with Natalie Cole. That would be unforgettable, too. Jonathan Widran
Tracklist :
1. Walkin' My Baby Back Home 2:30
 Fred E. Ahlert / Roy Turk
2. Candy 5:33
 Mack David / Alex Kramer / Joan Whitney
3. Welcome To The Club 3:21
 Noel Sherman / Dick Wolf
4. Indiana 3:23
 James F. Hanley / Ballard MacDonald
5. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons 2:52
 William "Pat" Best / Deek Watson
6. Don't Let It Go To Your Head 2:23
 Henry Hadamik / Frank LaVere / Bob Nast
7. Meet Me At No Special Place 3:19
 Henry Pyle / J. Russel Robinson / Arthur Terker
8. The Late Late Show 3:06
 Roy Alfred / Murray Berlin
9. Smile 3:52
 Charlie Chaplin / Geoffrey Parsons / John Turner
10. Tenderly 4:16
 Walter Gross / Jack Lawrence
11. I Was A Little Too Lonely 3:27
 Redd Evans / Jay Livingston
12. I'm An Errand Boy For Rhythm 3:34
 Nat King Cole
13. Then I'll Be Tired Of You 4:02
 E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Arthur Schwartz
14. That's Nat 3:04
 John Pizzarelli
15. Azure-Te 3:51
 Bill Davis / Don Wolf
16. I Know That You Know 3:43
 Anne Caldwell / Vincent Youmans
17. Embraceable You 3:28
 George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
18. I Like Jersey Best 7:17
Credits :
John Pizzarelli - Guitar, Vocals
Ray Kennedy - Piano
Martin Pizzarelli - Bass
Guest: Harry Allen - Tenor Sax (tracks: 6, 13)

JESSICA MOLASKEY — Pentimento (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

According to Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary, pentimento is defined as "the presence or emergence of earlier images, forms, or strokes that have been painted over." Musical theater star performer Jessica Molaskey's album of the same name gives a jazzy musical twist to this definition by updating songs from the 1920s and '30s. The play list is made up of those wonderful songs that people were enjoying during the pre-Depression flapper and Depression eras. Often their lyrics reflected the social and economic mores of the time, such as "We're in the Money"; others are just lovely songs from a bygone era, some of which have survived quite well to this day. These were the staples of many vaudeville and music hall performers and Tin Pan Alley song pluggers. Molaskey is joined by a stellar cast of musicians as she freshens up these vintage melodies, giving them a somewhat modern sheen, but not enough to completely mask their authenticity as classic American popular songs. The all-star band includes Ken Peplowski with his middle-register clarinet, Larry Goldings, and veteran Johnny Frigo. This group is augmented by Molaskey's husband, guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli, and his father, Bucky Pizzarelli. Molaskey delivers this wonderful material in an ungarnished, straightforward, clear, and pretty voice. She also has a way with taking these oldies and giving them a new look by simply changing the pulse. This happens on "I'm Just Wild About Harry," which is done as a plaintive ballad instead of the usually fast tap-dancing pace of its Broadway introduction in Shuffle Along in 1921. Even more than the pleasant warm feeling of nostalgia this fine album produces, it is a fun album of good music performed by excellent practitioners of their trade. Highly recommended for everybody who enjoys good music. Dave Nathan  
Tracklist :
1 Oh You Beautiful Doll 2:44
Nat D. Ayer / Seymour Brown
2 I'm Just Wild About Harry 3:02
Eubie Blake / Noble Sissle
3 Ain't We Got Fun 3:06
Raymond B. Egan / Gus Kahn / Richard A. Whiting
4 What'll I Do 3:31
Irving Berlin
5 Medley 3:22
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
Jessica Molaskey feat: John Pizzarelli
  6 Waitin' For the Train to Come In 2:29
Martin Block / Sunny Skylar
7 Red, Red Robin 2:42
Harry Woods
8 By the Beautiful Sea 1:57
Harold Atteridge / Harry Carroll
9 I'm Always Chasing Rainbows 2:49
Harry Carroll / Joseph McCarthy
10 Oh, How I Hate to Get up in the Morning 2:46
Irving Berlin
11 You Made Me Love You 4:12
Joseph McCarthy / James V. Monaco
12 I Tried Too Hard For Too Long 1:50
Jessica Molaskey / John Pizzarelli
13 When I Lost You 1:05
Irving Berlin
14 Look For the Silver Lining 1:55
Buddy DeSylva / Jerome Kern
15 I Can't Give You Anything But Love 3:18
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
16 Beautiful Dreamer 1:37
Stephen Foster
17 Sail Away 2:57
Jessica Molaskey / John Pizzarelli
 Credits :
Johnny Frigo - Violin
Larry Goldings - Arranger, Piano, Piano Arrangement
Jesse Levy - Cello
Jessica Molaskey - Arranger, Composer, Vocals
Ken Peplowski - Clarinet
Bucky Pizzarelli - Guitar, Ukulele
John Pizzarelli - Arranger, Composer, Guitar, Producer, Ukulele, Vocals
Martin Pizzarelli - Bass
Tony Tedesco - Brushes, Percussion

AARON WEINSTEIN & JOHN PIZZARELLI — Blue Too (2007) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The combination of jazz and guitar, whether in a group setting or duo, has frequently been associated with swing. This stretches back further than Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli to players like guitarist Eddie Lang and violist Joe Venuti in the 1920s; the tradition, however, also moves forward in time, including work by Stuff Smith with guitarist Herb Ellis in 1963 and numerous recordings by groups put together by Tony Rice and David Grisman beginning in the '70s. Despite the long history, the guitar/fiddle combination is nonetheless a rare one in jazz, which makes the issue of Blue Too by guitarist John Pizzarelli and violinist Aaron Weinstein a real treat. As a duo recording, Pizzarelli and Weinstein have kept Blue Too's arrangements simple and intimate. The material, both new and old, pays tribute to the swing tradition, allowing the duo to reach back to George Van Eps' "I Wrote It for Joe," make a stop at Cole Porter's "You Do Something to Me," and add to the tradition with the original title cut. While Pizzarelli and Weinstein occasionally indulge in lengthy jams, as with Walter Donaldson's "Little White Lies" (nearly seven minutes), most of these pieces run between two and four minutes. The music and tradition may be familiar on Blue Too, but Pizzarelli and Weinstein's lead work and innovative backing deliver it with imagination. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
Tracklist :
1    I Want To Be Happy 3:05
Written-By – Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans
2    Cocktails For Two 4:18
Written-By – Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow
3    Little White Lies 6:49
Written-By – Walter Donaldson
4    Raggin' The Scale 2:43
Written-By – Edward B. Claypoole
5    Blue Too 6:49
Written-By – Aaron Weinstein, John Pizzarelli
6    You 3:49
Written-By – Harold Adamson, Walter Donaldson
7    Don't Be That Way 2:36
Vocals – John Pizzarelli
Written-By – Benny Goodman, Edgar Sampson, Mitchell Paris
8    Diga Diga Doo 3:02
Written-By – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
9    I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan 3:58
Written-By – Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz
10    You Do Something To Me 3:31
Written-By – Cole Porter
11    Melancholy Lullaby 5:24
Written-By – Benny Carter, Edward Heyman
12    The Blue Room 3:16
Written-By – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
13    I Wrote It For Jo 3:10
Written By – George Van Eps
14    As Long As I'm Singing 2:16
Written-By – Bobby Darin
Credits :
Guitar – John Pizzarelli (All Tracks), Vocals – (Track 7)
Violin – Aaron Weinstein (All Tracks)

JOHN PIZZARELLI — Dear Mr. Cole (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

John Pizzarelli's tribute to Nat King Cole features him in a drumless trio with pianist Benny Green and bassist Christian McBride on all but one selection. Pizzarelli is fine as a rhythm guitarist, but since he sings on most of the selections and his voice is merely average, this session (which includes 18 selections, most of which were originally associated with Cole) is of less interest than one might hope. At least Pizzarelli has a cheerful style and does not seem to take himself too seriously; Green has many forceful solos, but the leader's limited vocal abilities keep this recording from being too essential. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Style Is Coming Back In Style 2:42
Written-By – Leiber/Stoller
2    What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry 2:24
Written-By – Lyman, Donaldson
3    Little Girl 2:51
Written-By – Henry, Hyde
4    You Must Be Blind 3:39
Written-By – Cole
5    Sweet Georgia Brown 5:47
Written-By – Bernie, Casey, Pinkard
6    It's Only A Paper Moon 2:33
Written-By – Rose, Harburg, Arlen
7    September Song 3:30
Written-By – Weill, Anderson
8    On The Sunny Side Of The Street 2:54
Written-By – McHugh/Fields
9    Nature Boy 3:44
Written-By – E. Ahbez
10    This Way Out 4:49
Written-By – Cole
11    Too Marvelous For Words 2:05
Written-By – Mercer, Whiting
12    Route 66 6:42
Written-By – Troup
13    Sweet Lorraine 3:29
Written-By – Burwell, Parish
14    Straighten Up And Fly Right 5:08
Written-By – Mills, Cole
15    Honeysuckle Rose 2:54
Written-By – Razaf, Waller
16    L-O-V-E 2:18
Written-By – Kaempfert, Gabler
17    Unforgettable 1:58
Written-By – Gordon
18    Portrait Of Jenny 2:53
Written By – Newman
Credits :
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – John Guerin (tracks: 1)
Guitar, Vocals – John PIzzarelli
Piano – Benny Green (tracks: 2 to 18), Ray Kennedy (tracks: 1)

RAY BROWN TRIO — Some of My Best Friends Are ... Guitarists (2002) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The fifth in Ray Brown's series of recordings pairing his working trio with several different musicians from the same family of instruments (although one volume was exclusively singers) features a half-dozen guitarists, ranging from fellow Oscar Peterson alumni Herb Ellis (who worked with Brown in the pianist's most famous trio) and Ulf Wakenius to veteran Kenny Burrell, as well as seasoned players like John Pizzarelli and Bruce Forman and the rising star Russell Malone. Each song sounds as if the group could be a working quartet, due to the great interaction between the trio and each guest. Pizzarelli shines in a bluesy, strutting take of Duke Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me" (erroneously labeled as Fats Waller's "Squeeze Me") which has a nice series of exchanges between the guitarist and the leader. Ellis brings back memories of the Oscar Peterson Trio with a heated performance of "I Want to Be Happy" during which pianist Geoff Keezer is up to the task of carrying on where Ellis left off. Wakenius is the guest on a particularly moody take of "My Funny Valentine." Burrell, Forman, and Malone also fare nicely on each of their pair of tracks, so it's very easy to recommend this very enjoyable disc. Ken Dryden   Tracklist & Credits :

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

JESSICA MOLASKEY – Sitting in Limbo (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jessica Molaskey came up with a list of "limbo songs" for her fourth CD, describing them as pieces where someone is trying to figure out the difference between what seems to be taking place vs. what is actually going on. With a fine band that includes her husband, John Pizzarelli, on guitar, bassist Martin Pizzarelli, and drummer Tony Tedesco, with either Larry Goldings or Larry Fuller on piano, plus several appearances by saxophonist Harry Allen, she offers thoughtful interpretations of material drawn from the pop and rock of several decades, a few standards, and a pair of originals. She works magic with the unpromising soul hit "O-o-h Child" -- a simplistic ballad with a trite two-line lyric -- by slowing its tempo, accompanied solely by Goldings' thoughtful arrangement. Her humorous side comes out as she and her spouse interpolate "I Want to Be Happy" and "Sometimes I'm Happy" in a playful, sometimes conversational setting. They also jointly wrote the subtle but amusing ballad "Knowing You." This veteran Broadway singer/actress continues to shine in the spotlight, whether in the studio for a recording date or on-stage. Ken Dryden   
Tracklist :
1 Sitting in Limbo 3:58
Gully Bright / Jimmy Cliff
2 Heavy Cloud, No Rain 3:09
Jessica Molaskey
3 Summer, Highland Falls 4:16
Billy Joel
4 Ooh Child 3:00
Stan Vincent
5 I Want to Be Happy/Sometimes I'm Happy 2:13
Clifford Grey / Vincent Youmans
6 There Will Never Be Another You 3:12
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
7 Knowing You 4:31
Jessica Molaskey / John Pizzarelli
8 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter 3:31
Fred E. Ahlert / Joe Young
9 The Circle Game/Waters of March 4:48
Joni Mitchell
10 Walkin' After Midnight 3:35
Don Hecht
11 Hearts and Bones 4:11
Paul Simon
12 Morning Has Broken/I Woke Up One Early Morning 4:26
Eleanor Farjeon / Jessica Molaskey / John Pizzarelli / Traditional
Credits :
Bass – Martin Pizzarelli
Drums – Tony Tedesco
Guitar – John Pizzarelli
Piano – Larry Fuller (tracks: 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Piano, Organ – Larry Goldings (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12)
Saxophone – Harry Allen