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John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey, July 25th - 29th at Catalina's |
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Written by Ronaldo Oregano
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Monday, 23 July 2007 |
 John Pizzarelli
John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960) is a celebrated jazz guitarist, singer, songwriter and is the son of legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli is among the prime revivalists of the great American songbook, bringing to his work the cool jazz flavor of his brilliant guitar playing.
Pizzarelli has been playing guitar since age six, influenced by his father, guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli. At an early age, John Pizzarelli was exposed to great jazz music, from Erroll Garner and Les Paul to Django Reinhardt. He began playing with his father at age twenty, then went out on his own. Since 1992 the John Pizzarelli Trio has toured extensively. In 1993 they opened for Frank Sinatra’s international tour and then joined in the celebration for his 80th birthday at Carnegie Hall.
From Wednesday July 25th through Sunday, 29th Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood presents the husband and wife team John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey, with their trio featuring Larry Fuller on Piano, Martin Pizzarelli on Bass, and Tony Tedesco on Drums.
John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960) is a celebrated jazz guitarist, singer, songwriter and is the son of legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli is among the prime revivalists of the great American songbook, bringing to his work the cool jazz flavor of his brilliant guitar playing.
Pizzarelli has been playing guitar since age six, influenced by his father, guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli. At an early age, John Pizzarelli was exposed to great jazz music, from Erroll Garner and Les Paul to Django Reinhardt. He began playing with his father at age twenty, then went out on his own. Since 1992 the John Pizzarelli Trio has toured extensively. In 1993 they opened for Frank Sinatra’s international tour and then joined in the celebration for his 80th birthday at Carnegie Hall.
Despite his youth, John Pizzarelli has recorded nearly 40 albums of music, either as the leader or in tandem with other performers. Among others, Pizzarelli has recorded with such luminaries as George Shearing, Rosemary Clooney, and Buddy DeFranco, as well as the Boston Pops Orchestra. Many if not most of his albums have received good to excellent reviews and are very popular sellers. Additionally, he has been a guest performer on numerous records throughout his career.
Particularly lauded for his interpretations of jazz standards, Pizzarelli also composes his own songs. He is also a fan of bossa nova and released an album entirely composed of that type of music. Pizzarelli is also known for his winning personality, and his great rapport with audiences during his live performances has gone a long way to garnering him cache with the jazz public.
Pizzarelli grew up in New Jersey and frequently expresses pride about this fact. A fan favorite at his live shows is the Cosgriff-Bernardi number "I Like Jersey Best", a largely humorous tribute to the Garden State. He married singer Jessica Molaskey in 1998, and the couple have a daughter, Madeleine Elizabeth.
In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, Pizzarelli has been a special guest on recordings for such major pop artists as James Taylor, Natalie Cole,Tom Wopat, Rickie Lee Jones, and Dave Von Ronk, as well as leading jazz artists like Rosemary Clooney, Ruby Braff, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen, and, of course, Bucky Pizzarelli. He was recently featured opposite Donna Summer, Jon Secada, and Roberta Flack on the Grammy Award–winning CD Songs from the Neighborhood: The Music of Mr. Rogers. Mr. Pizzarelli continues to tour throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, performing classic pop, jazz, and swing, while setting the standard for stylish modern jazz. Please visit www.johnpizzarelli.com for more information. Jessica Molaskey
Jessica Molaskey is a veteran of a dozen Broadway shows: A Man of No Importance at Lincoln Center written by Terrance McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Parade (directed by Hal Prince), Dream, Tommy, Crazy For You, Les Miserables, City of Angels, Chess, Cats and Oklahoma! and she has performed off Broadway and regionally in dozens of productions.
Jessica has premiered music written by Ricky Ian Gordon, Adam Guettel, Jason Robert Brown, Michael John LaChiusa, and Stephen Sondheim and John Bucchino. She has written songs for almost a dozen recordings including “Greed”, part of a commission for Audra McDonald’s Seven Deadly Sins at Carnegie Hall and Cradle and all which will be part of Ms. McDonalds newest c.d. coming out in the fall.
Along with her husband John Pizzarelli, Jessica hosts a weekly national radio program called Radio Deluxe. Other recordings include Fine and Dandy, Myths And Hymns, Parade, Songs For a New World, Weird Romance, Chess, Oklahoma!, Windflowers: The Music of Jerome Moross, Fred Hersch’s CD Two Hands, Ten Voices, It's only Life, The songs of John Bucchino and the upcoming cast album of Dream True by Tina Landau and Ricky Ian Gordon.
Jessica grew up in Wolcott, Connecticut. Visit: www.jessicamolaskey.com for more info.
Larry Fuller has established himself as a world-class jazz pianist firmly rooted in the hard swinging traditions of mainstream jazz. Raised in Toledo, Ohio, he began his musical studies at age 11 and immediately began showing an aptitude for jazz. I In 2000 he joined the Ray Brown Trio; he was the trio’s last pianist, and performed with Ray Brown until his passing in 2002. Fuller has performed with Harry “Sweets” Edison, Stanley Turrentine, Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Herb Ellis, Marlena Shaw, Kevin Mahogany, John Clayton, John Heard, Bennie Golson, Emily Remler, Jeff Hamilton, Jimmy Witherspoon, Eddie Harris, Ernestine Anderson, Anita O’Day, Steve Allen, Regina Carter, Nicholas Payton, and others. He continues to appear at festivals, clubs, and jazz parties around the world.
Bassist Martin Pizzarelli has appeared in the major jazz festivals around the world with the John Pizzarelli Quartet. He has performed on The Tonight Show, Conan O’Brien, and The Late Show with David Letterman with the ensemble. It was through his father, Bucky Pizzarelli, that he met his influences, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, and Milt Hinton.
Drummer Tony Tedesco's wide variety of drum work has included jazz festivals, recordings, television shows, performances with the New York City Opera, clinics, movies (Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors and Celebrity), and Broadway shows including the Tony Award–winning revival 42nd Street. Tedesco has toured with many artists, including Peggy Lee, Perry Como, Dick Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, Harry “Sweets” Edison, and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. He has been the drummer for John Pizzarelli since 1998, which has included tours of various jazz festivals and symphony concerts, along with many recordings.
Hear John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey on Wednesday, July 25th through Sunday, July 29th at Catalina Bar and Grill - located at 6725 West Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood California 90028 Phone: (323) 466-2210. www.catalinajazzclub.com
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 Monday, 01 December 2008
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