Dear Mr. Sinatra - John Pizzarelli

by Lara on November 20th, 2007

I’ve listened to the samples on Amazon of this album and I’m not so sure I’m a fan just yet. I might have to buy it, and/or a couple others, but it seems to me like he’s just trying to stylize Sinatra - and IMHO that’s just not a good thing. Doesn’t mean he’s bad - the samples sound good and the “big band” appeal is totally there. The man’s got fans too, though - he’s got a radio show and a website and forum with several active users.

Here’s what Pizzarelli had to say about the album:

“I realized the best way to present these songs, so etched in everyone’s mind, was to take them out of their skin and start over. The arranging skills of John Clayton (along with contributions from Don Sebesky, Dick Lieb and Quincy Jones) and the sound of the unique group he writes for, were just what the doctor ordered. I have been a huge fan of the CEO for many years and have spent many terrific hours on and off the bandstand with John Clayton, Jeff Clayton, and Hammer. To say, it thrills me to be able to make this CD with them is an understatement.”

John Pizzarelli - Dear Mr. Sinatra

“With his eternally boyish tenor and cheery romantic outlook, John Pizzarelli is a stylistic world apart from Frank Sinatra, he of the manly baritone and dark sensual undercurrents. But like his Italian-American forebear, he’s a consummate swinger, and he knows how to make a lyric his own. Comprised mostly of tunes written for the Chairman, Dear Mr. Sinatra is a musical fan letter without the usual schmaltz or reverence. An actively intelligent singer and guitarist, Pizzarelli reshapes the material to fit his personality, whether quietly enunciating “You Make Me Feel So Young,” scatting over a brief guitar solo on “How About You?,” or making the emotions sneak up on you on a medley of “I See Your Face Before Me” and “In the Wee Small Hours (of the Morning).” He’s equally at home with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra as he is with his working combo, largely because in John Clayton, he has a skilled arranger who is equally open to recasting the songs–dig the jagged rhythms, hesitation effects, and burnished tones on “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” Even as he asserts his own style, Pizzarelli subtly conveys his affection for Sinatra in his phrasing. The album also boasts an agreeable Frank-like running time of 39 minutes. - Lloyd Sachs”