这是一位浪漫而温存的Jazz王子,有着温柔而勾人的嗓音,也有着性感而迷人的台风,更有着时而优雅时而激烈的情怀,他就是来自美国的歌手与吉他手John Pizzarelli(约翰•皮萨瑞)。聆听John的音乐,你能够从音符中捕捉到浓郁的美国都市气息,既充斥着美式流行文化,也有着只属于他自己爵士音乐特质的那份闲情雅致。
从二十岁便开始崭露头角的John Pizzarelli,于1983年出版发行了属于他自己的首张个人专辑《I’m Hip, Please Don’t Tell My Father》,而后他便渐渐从当时一些吉他大师的音乐中汲取了诸多营养。在后来十多年的音乐探求路上,他摒弃了老派的唱法而从时代元素中获得了全球越来越多聆听者的青睐——无论是百老汇歌剧的演绎,还是与爵士乐团的合作,John的表现总是让业界赞不绝口,这也使得他在二十一世纪即将到来的时候到达了音乐事业的巅峰。此次“爵士上海”国际音乐节,我们且看这位王子怎么把我们带向属于他的Swing王国。
by Matt Collar
Jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli is a technically proficient fretman with a soft voice, charming stage presence, and knack for uptempo swing. Most often performing in a trio setting sans drums, Pizzarelli has found his niche covering jazz standards and American Popular Song in his own urbane style. The son of journeyman swing guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, John began performing with his father at age 20 and made his recorded debut with his 1983 release, I'm Hip -- Please Don't Tell My Father. Growing up, John was exposed to the music of such jazz luminaries as Les Paul and Django Reinhardt, and he has justifiably drawn comparisons to both of these legendary guitarists.
Pizzarelli's updated old-school sound caught the ear of many jazz purists early on; notably, in 1993 the John Pizzarelli Trio opened various dates on Frank Sinatra's tour, eventually participating in the legendary vocalist's 80th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall. Interestingly, Pizzarelli's growing popularity garnered him a lead spot in the 1997 Broadway production of Dream, a tribute to composer Johnny Mercer. His 1998 RCA release, Meets the Beatles, found him reinterpreting classic songs by the iconic Liverpool quartet, while the following year he paid tribute to one of his biggest influences, pianist/vocalist Nat King Cole, on P.S. Mr. Cole. Pizzarelli then signed with the Telarc label in 1999 and released two standards-based albums, Kisses in the Rain and Let There Be Love, in 2000.
Since then, he has recorded an album with pianist George Shearing and celebrated ten years of performing with his trio by releasing the concert album Live at Birdland in 2003. Taking a break from swing, Pizzarelli released Bossa Nova in 2004. Largely featuring the works of Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, the album showcased the Pizzarelli Trio on such classics of the genre as "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Aguas de Marco (Waters of March)." In 2005 Pizzarelli returned to his usual fare of American standards with Knowing You (though he penned the title track), and backed by the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, paid his tribute to the legend himself with 2006's Dear Mr. Sinatra. With a Song in My Heart featuring the songs of composer Richard Rodgers followed in 2008.