For more than half a century,
John "Bucky" Pizzarelli has been a part of the fraternity of
musicians who have kept mainstream and traditional jazz alive. The list of big
bands and vocalists with whom Bucky has performed and recorded reads like a
veritable Who's Who of Jazz. Bucky Pizzarelli is a superior guitarist who swing
musicians in particular appreciate. Bucky Pizzarelli, father of John
Pizzarelli, Jr., has been a fixture in jazz and the studios since the early
'50s.
He learned to play banjo and guitar when he was young. At the age of 17 he toured with Vaughan Monroe's dance band, which he re-joined (after military service) in 1946; he made recordings with the band for RCA and also played on the radio. In 1952 he joined the staff of NBC. For many years, at NBC, he played in the Doc Severinson Band on the Tonight Show.
After touring for two years with the Three Suns trio, he returned to New York to work in the recording studios and as a freelance. He appears on many recordings as part of the rhythm section. One of the era's most solid rhythm players, Pizzarelli was in high demand to provide propulsion and background for other musicians. He played and toured with Benny Goodman, forming a close association with him that lasted until Goodman's death; he also led his own trio and recorded duos with Zoot Sims (1976), Bud Freeman (1975), Stephane Grappelli (1979) and his son John (from around 1981).
Pizzarelli plays a seven-string
electric guitar; the extra string (tuned to A) allows him to play a bass line
to his own solos. He is known not only for his exceptional solo performances on
the electric instrument, but also for his proficiency as a classical guitarist.
He is also a Faculty Member
Emeritus of William Paterson College in Wayne, NJ.
His recordings as leader began to appear in the 1970's with recordings like Green Guitar Blues. On this recording Pizzarelli established a pattern he repeated throughout his career, that is, playing and recording some of the great historic guitar compositions from the 1930s. On this recording he pays homage to Carl Kress and Dick McDonough by including Chicken A La Swing. A few years later he paid tribute to these two guitarists again on his Guitar Quintet LP. On April Kisses (1999), he includes original music by Carl Kress, George Van Eps and George M. Smith.
Bucky Pizzarelli has carried forward other jazz guitar traditions as well. His extraordinary skill as a rhythm player places him in the company of the great rhythm players like Freddie Greene and Barry Galbraith. He has brought forward the great chord solo tradition begun by George Van Eps and Dick McDonough. Like George Van Eps, Bucky Pizzarelli adopted the seven-string electric guitar (in fact, playing the Gretsch Van Eps model for many years). And, although this guitar is very popular today, for many years Bucky Pizzarelli was considered the only guitarist next to George Van Eps to play the seven string electric guitar exclusively.
Along with being a dedicated conservator of the old guitar music and the early styles of playing, Bucky Pizzarelli has also developed a very personal style that sets him apart. Recordings like Love Songs and NY Swing present a picture of the complete jazz musician and guitarist who moves effortlessly from the daunting format of the solo guitar to playing solid, swinging rhythm and single string solos in an ensemble setting.
