Bucky Pizzarelli Flashes: A Lifetime In Words And Music CD

Live Recording

Personnel: Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Bucky Pizzarelli (7-string guitar, nylon-string guitar).
Liner Note Author: Marty Grosz.
Recording information: Ditto Discs, Waldwick, NJ (02/2004); The Cave Studio (02/2004).
Bucky Pizzarelli has long been the master of the seven-string electric guitar, though opportunities to hear him play unaccompanied have been few and far between. His third volume of solo guitar for Arbors is a bit different than the earlier CDs, in that he takes time to talk about composers of selected numbers or how he came to play the tunes. While some listeners may not want to hear his comments more than once, his introductions are brief and to the point, so serious jazz fans will get the feeling that they are being treated to a private concert by Pizzarelli. Among the best-known standards in this collection, Pizzarelli's elegant reharmonization of "Willow Weep for Me" and the loping take of "A Sleepin' Bee" especially stand out. But the veteran also delves into overlooked gems like Willard Robison's "Mockingbird," Sol Kaplan's "Down Memory Lane" (the theme to the long-forgotten Joe Franklin Show), and Noël Coward's "Sail Away," hopefully kindling an interest in them by musicians who follow him. The informative liner notes by fellow guitarist Marty Grosz are an added bonus to this essential CD. ~ Ken Dryden

Down Beat (p.90) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "Pizzarelli's interpretations never fail to find a level of innovative complexity and simple beauty."