From the Telarc Records Site:
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”—Carl Jung
For over twenty-five years, John Pizzarelli, best known as a leading interpreter of the great American songbook, has traveled the world, making records and performing for all types of audiences in venues large and small. The singer/guitarist celebrates this journey with the release of Knowing You, a tribute to the many talented musicians and songwriters he’s met along the way.
“Sometimes meeting a musician transforms my way of thinking forever,” Pizzarelli says in his liner notes. “Meeting a songwriter teaches me more about the nature of life from having lived inside his music.”
Captured in a classic jazz setting by producer Robert Woods, most of the fifteen tracks on Knowing You spotlight the work of composers and lyricists whose families Pizzarelli has come to know and admire, from songwriters Alan Bergman, Dave Frishberg, Dan Barrett, Johnny Mandel and the family of Jimmy McHugh, Saul Chaplin’s daughter Judy, Tita Cahn and Arthur Schwartz’s son, Jonathan.
Pizzarelli’s sixth Telarc recording includes such timeless classics as “The Shadow of Your Smile,” “I Just Found Out About Love,” “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” and “How Long Has This Been Going On?,” along with more recent compositions “Quality Time” and “Eastwood Lane,” both written by Dave Frishberg, and “God Only Knows,” from Tony Asher and Brian Wilson.
Pizzarelli’s quartet kicks off the album with Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire’s “Coffee, Black” (from the 1996 musical BIG), while Frank Loesser and Jimmy McHugh’s “Say It (Over and Over Again)” highlights the work of Harry Allen on tenor saxophone and Bucky Pizzarelli on acoustic rhythm guitar. John Pizzarelli wrote the wistful title track and “The First Hint of Autumn.”
In addition to the handsome New Jersey native’s awesome guitar chops and Sinatra-like vocal phrasing, Knowing You features such special guests as renowned Brazilian composer/arranger Cesar Camargo Mariano on piano, Larry Goldings on organ and piano, Bucky Pizzarelli on rhythm guitar, Tony Monte on piano, Ken Peplowski on clarinet, Harry Allen on tenor saxophone and singer Jessica Molaskey. Pizzarelli’s quartet includes longtime partners Ray Kennedy on piano and brother Martin Pizzarelli on bass, along with the newest member of the group, drummer Tony Tedesco.
“If making music is the most collaborative of art forms, I have had the great fortune of knowing the most sublime collaborators,” says Pizzarelli. “From those I was born with (my father, Bucky), to those I now live with (my wife, Jessica Molaskey) and those I am lucky enough to call friends.”
His sixth album on Telarc and his nineteenth as a bandleader, Knowing You is the followup to Pizzarelli’s critically-acclaimed Bossa Nova recording. Produced by Russ Titelman, this 2004 release features five classic Antonio Carlos Jobim tunes, including “One Note Samba, “The Girl from Ipanema” and “Waters of March.” Bossa Nova also spotlights noted Brazilian musicians Paulo Braga, who played drums with Jobim, vocalist Daniel Jobim (Jobim’s grandson) and pianist Cesar Camargo Mariano.
Selections: Coffee, Black - New Sun in the Sky - Ain't That a Kick in the Head? - The Shadow of Your Smile - Pick Yourself Up - Knowing You - God Only Knows - Quality Time - Eastwood Lane - I Just Found Out About Love - Say It (Over and Over Again) - That Face - How Long Has This Been Going On? - The First Hint of Autumn - If It's the Last Thing I Do
Musicians: John Pizzarelli - guitar and vocals, Ray Kennedy - piano, Martin Pizzarelli - bass, Tony Tedesco - drums, Harry Allen - tenor saxophone, Larry Goldings - piano and organ - Cesar Camargo Mariano - Piano, Jessica Molaskey - vocal, Tony Monte - piano, Ken Peplowski - clarinet, Bucky Pizzarelli - acoustic rhythm guitar
Visit the Telarc site to view a special Real Video Presentation on the making of Knowing You.