The Pizzarelli family has frequently worked together over the years, which is hardly surprising since patriarch
Bucky taught son
John to play guitar and helped him get his feet wet when he followed his father into playing professionally.
Bucky and
John have appeared together on numerous CDs and it's obvious that they bring out the best in one another while having an incredible musical ESP to anticipate where the other guitarist is headed. Most of these performances come from two fall 2010 studio sessions, with both men playing seven-string electric guitar as a duo. It's a treat to hear the elaborate fugue conjured by the guitarists in their treatment of "All the Things You Are," while their shimmering, luxuriously deliberate setting of "Stardust" is one for the ages. Their take of "What's New" is lyrical without being overly sentimental. Pianist
Larry Fuller, bassist
Martin Pizzarelli, and drummer
Tony Tedesco (all members of
John's regular band) are added for a swinging three-song medley of works associated with
Benny Goodman played during a 2010 concert at Tanglewood. The musicians make each of their performances sound effortless, no matter how many times they may have played them. In the Pizzarelli family it is clear that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and the music they produce is guaranteed to be tasty. ~ Ken Dryden