After leading numerous bands that included his vocalist wife, the grandson of Tom Jobim, and various drummers, John Pizzarelli returned to his musical roots as he lead a vintage trio with Mike Karn/b and Konrad Paszkovozki/dr that continued the legacy started by Nat “King” Cole and perfected by Oscar Peterson.
Serving as a musical docent, Pizzarelli took the audience at Catalina’s through a series of clever medleys. The first was a tribute to Bobby Troup, with Pizzarelli mixing in swinging chords and bluesy swing to “The Hungry Man” and “Lemon Twist” before popping the clutch and allowing Karn and Paszkovoski to drive with the top down on “Route 66.”
For the “You” Medley, Pizzarelli did a solo take for a gorgeously reflective “ I Thought About You,” leading to a piano/voice rendition of “I Remember You” that was elegant and stately while “I’m With You” was cozy and whimsical.
Taking the crowd to the Johnny Mercer room, Pizzarelli pulled out the gloriously obscure ditty about a West Virginia football game for the frenetic “Jamboree Jones” that was like a musical screwball comedy. Karn’s bass line paved the way to a pretty “Skylark” that had Pizzarelli taping the strings for extra texture, while full fisted gospel piano chords got everyone to the church on time on a toe tapping “Accentuate the Positive.”
Giving background to each work of art on the wall for the “Movie” section of the tour, Pizzarelli had the house rolling on his intro to the bouncy “Something’s Gotta Give” and had the band at its most Cole-ish on the cheerful and clever “I Got Out of Bed on the Right Side” as he lead the crowd down the hallway to the samba room for a suave “Bangles, Baubles and Beads” and a breezy “Wave.”
While it’s easy to be charmed by his irresistible vocal delivery and jokes between songs, it’s easy to overlook his incredible mastery of the 7 string guitar. His deft finger work and singalong to the blistering solos on the fluid “How High the Moon” and the digital dexterity of the hip bopper tribute “Oscar Night” was red meat for guitar fans, while his thoughtful encore of “Body and Soul” was, along with the evening and the guitar trio, timeless and classy.
Upcoming shows at Catalina’s include Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr 08/31-09/02, Cecile McLorin Salvant 09/14-16, Oz Noy 09/21-22 and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra 09/27