Guitarist/vocalist
John Pizzarelli returns with another solid collection of tastefully swinging standards on
Knowing You. Never straying too far from what he does best,
Pizzarelli is nonetheless an exciting improviser and pleasing vocalist who always finds a way to make an old chestnut of a tune his own. Here, his rapport with such longtime bandmates as pianist
Ray Kennedy, bassist
Martin Pizzarelli, and drummer
Tony Tedesco is instinctual, full of humor, and filled with call-and-response interplay. To these ends,
Pizzarelli has compiled an enjoyable set of well- and lesser-known standards, including the sprightly swinger "Coffee, Black," the elegantly mellow "The Shadow of Your Smile," and the sweetly unexpected
Brian Wilson classic "God Only Knows." That interesting song choice and the
Rupert Holmes-esque original title track also show
Pizzarelli's ability to push his talents into contemporary areas without alienating his fan base. Also joining in are
Pizzarelli's wife, vocalist
Jessica Molaskey, along with pianist
Larry Goldings, tenor saxophonist
Harry Allen, and others. ~ Matt Collar