Music Review by Andrew Poretz . . . .
Bucky Pizzarelli was one of the greatest and most recorded jazz guitarists of all time and one of only a handful of acclaimed seven-string guitarists. (His son, John Pizzarelli, is one of them.) Bucky, who was still actively playing gigs into his 90s until his final performance in 2018, died from Covid in 2020 at age 94.
On November 7 at 54 Below, A Tribute to Bucky Pizzarelli: Presented by Martin Pizzarelli and David Rose celebrated the late virtuoso. Bucky’s younger son, bassist Martin Pizzarelli, fronted the trio, with pianist Hyuna Park and reed whiz Linus Wyrsch. German vocalist and co-presenter David Rose flew in from Berlin for the event. Curiously, there was no guitarist on the bandstand, though Bucky’s chair is a hard one to fill. The square-jawed Martin is an excellent bassist with a quick wit and an ease at the mic, making him an appealing emcee.
Wyrsch provided a killer clarinet solo on the jazz standard “Stompin’ at the Savoy” (Edgar Sampson) with Park flaunting her formidable piano chops. The piano and bass had sufficient percussion to compensate for not having a drummer. “Jitterbug Waltz” was a tip of the hat to Miles Davis, with Wyrsch now on tenor sax with a smokin’ solo.
(Photo courtesy of Beth Naji)
David Rose came up for the vocal segment of the set. Rose made his 54 Below debut back in February 2019, and Bucky’s final recording was with Rose on The New York Session. The crooner has a pleasant voice, though lacking range or power, and sings in a sincere and unadorned fashion reminiscent of Chet Baker. His strengths lie in his phrasing and his meticulous devotion to the material.
Rose’s first song, “If Dreams Come True,” was written by Peggy Lee, and she recorded it with George Shearing. The Shearing influence, particularly the use of doubling and even tripling notes by the trio, was present in several songs, including “Little Coquette,” with the latter song utilizing a spare, light touch that suited Rose’s voice.
Rose, in recalling his recording sessions with Bucky, told the charming story of playing a song for Bucky that he had never heard before. Rose was struck by Bucky’s joy at learning a new song at age 88. Andy Williams sang the song, “You Tell Yourself,” on a TV show. Rose sang the song with only piano accompaniment to end the vocal segment.
Pizzarelli asked Park to learn Errol Garner’s play on Cole Porter’s “I Get a Kick Out of You,” called “That’s My Kick,” which is something of a cousin to “Moody’s Mood for Love.” Park’s solo to kick off this tune was impressive. Though she added some Garner-inspired flourishes, she made it her own.
The evening’s most fun came with “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.” Pizzarelli encouraged the audience to sing the name “Bucky” instead of “Baby.” Wyrsch made quite the show of things, with both his clarinet and his tenor sax around his neck, switching smoothly between them. This piece of business included an astounding call and response between the two instruments—which was something of a nod to trumpeter Clark Terry—culminating in Wyrsch playing both instruments simultaneously for several seconds.
Rose returned towards the end of the set. He is quite the musicologist, and with little prompting, displayed an encyclopedic knowledge of albums by Bucky Pizzarelli and Tony Bennett, and reeled off the names of many famous rock and pop records on which Bucky played. (In addition to the many recordings where Bucky was a billed player, he was a session guitarist for decades on hundreds of records and commercials, such as “Runaway” by Del Shannon and “A Teenager in Love” by Dion and the Belmonts.)
After a sweet rendition of Tony Martin’s theme song, “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” the band ended the short set as it began, returning to the coda of “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” with additional Shearingesque doubling.
There is much more to be mined from Bucky Pizzarelli’s long career. Here’s hoping a reprise might bring together three generations of Pizzarellis (John’s daughter Maddie is an accomplished musician, and sister Mary played guitar on a Bucky Pizzarelli album.)
A Tribute to Bucky Pizzarelli: Presented by Martin Pizzarelli and David Rose took place November 7, 2023, at 54 Below (254 West 54th Street between Eighth Avenue and Broadway) www.54below.org
Photos courtesy of Marie Traversa except where indicated
