The Great American Songbook has been taken off the shelf.
Harmonically sophisticated and lyrically polished songs from the '30s, '40s and '50s, composed by Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen and many others, are once again popular music. Jazz guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli, who was born in 1960, pegs the start of the revival to Linda Ronstadt's three recordings of standards in the early '80s.
"Linda Ronstadt made three records that sold millions of copies with Nelson Riddle. And then, as of the '90s, records in the Top 10 included Natalie Cole's 'Unforgettable,' Harry Connick's 'When Harry Met Sally,' Tony Bennett's 'Unplugged.' Michael Buble has had hit records singing standard songs. And even Rod Stewart has made records that sold in the millions."
What does he think of Stewart's interpretations? "I think they're horrible. I think it's terrible," he says with a good-natured laugh on the phone from his Upper East Side Manhattan home. "But the beauty of it is that here's a guy that has no business singing these songs but is still making records that sold millions."
Pizzarelli's records may not sell in the millions, but they do very well, thank you, and his live act is in demand all over the world. He's a virtuoso guitarist, a crooner who wields his less-than-huge voice with charm and swing and conviction, and an entertainer to the tips of his fancy black-and-white shoes — smart, funny, energetic and upbeat. His appeal extends beyond the world of jazz. He's in commercials. He gets written up in GQ and wine publications and magazines aimed at "affluent lifestyles."
Pizzarelli grew up in show business. His father, Bucky Pizzarelli, is an ace jazz and session guitarist who gigged with Sinatra and played on "The Tonight Show" for years. His dad taught him guitar at their home in Saddle River, N.J.
"I sang in bands and things like that. I enjoyed Billy Joel and James Taylor and Michael Franks and Kenny Rankin. And I worked as a guitar player with another singer in restaurants around New York and New Jersey when I was 20, 21, 22. And he would always sing Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra songs, so I didn't have anything that I could sing. I didn't like singing any of those songs at that point in time. And my father pointed me in the direction of the Nat King Cole songs.
"And whenever my father and I would work together, always in the middle of a concert, he would say to me, 'Sing a couple. Sing "Straighten Up and Fly Right." Sing "Route 66." ' And so I would sing a couple of songs. And I eventually wound up making a couple of records. There was always a need somewhere for a male vocalist in the early '90s. There was Harry Connick and all that. Chesky Records wanted a male vocalist and heard me playing in a jazz club. And they said, 'Why don't you come make a record for us? We like the way you sing.' It was just sort of luck of the draw, I guess."
Pizzarelli went from Chesky to RCA/Novus, where he made CDs ranging from two disks of Nat King Cole songs to "John Pizzarelli Meets the Beatles," swing-influenced arrangements of the Fab Four. The record company resisted that one, even though it ended up selling well. Shortly after, Pizzarelli went with Cleveland-based Telarc, for whom he has made eight records, including a disk of Sinatra material, a bossa nova CD, a collaboration with pianist George Shearing, and his latest, "With a Song in my Heart," featuring songs by Richard Rodgers.
Pizzarelli's music is truly a family affair. His younger brother Martin has long played upright bass in his band, and his father is a guest on many of his CDs.
The musical family opened its arms to one more member in 1998, when Pizzarelli married Jessica Molaskey, an actress and cabaret singer he had met when they worked in a Broadway revue. The two often perform together, including a stand every October at New York's famous Carlyle Hotel. Their glamorous, affectionate, wisecracking patter has given rise to comparisons with other showbiz couples, from Steve and Eydie to Tracy and Hepburn.
They also write songs together, Pizzarelli composing the music and Molaskey penning the lyrics. Their bittersweet love song "Knowing You" is a standout.
Considering that they're both more than a little theatrical, it's no surprise that they ended up with a radio show, "Radio Deluxe."
It's not meticulously planned, he says. Spontaneity happens. The conceit is that they're in their luxurious penthouse, fixing martinis and inviting a few friends for dinner.
Guests have included singers Keely Smith (who momentarily stopped conversation when she said Frank Sinatra "wasn't even a good lover"), Liza Minnelli, Margaret Whiting and writer Mitch Albom.
Besides music, Pizzarelli's father taught him one more thing — the joy of hard work.
"He's wherever they'll have him. He's a ubiquitous guitar player. Have guitar will travel. He's 83 years old. He's still going."
Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.