1. We Take On the Town
2. Strollin' Over to Nola (Gonna Play Some Blues)
3. Oh, Lady Be Good!
4. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
5. Sweet and Lovely
6. Joe and Zoot!
7. I'm Making Believe
8. You Be the Judge
9. Somebody Call Hanly!
10. Under a Blanket of Blue
11. Check Out This Out
12. I Knew Him When
13. I'll See You in My Dreams.
Larry Fuller - Piano
Martin Pizzarelli - Bass
Bucky Pizzarelli - Acoustic rhythm guitar
Tony Tedesco - Drums
Aaron Weinstein - Violin
Harry Allen - Tenor sax
Rebecca Kilgore - Vocals (tracks 1, 7, 12)
Jessica Molaskey - Vocals (tracks 1, 4, 12)
John Pizzarelli - Electric guitar, vocals
Like any good pizza party, this one has plenty of tasty ingredients.
For a start, there's the Pizzarelli father and sons - Bucky, John
and Martin. There's also Harry Allen's faultless tenor sax and Aaron
Weinstein's violin (which sounds very like Stuff Smith). And there
are some appetising vocals from Rebecca Kilgore and Jessica Molaskey
(the latter is Mrs John Pizzarelli, by the way). There's a party atmosphere
all the way, with some old, familiar songs (which are not too cheesy)
and some originals by John and Bucky.
Highlights include a neat piano solo from Larry Fuller and a breathy
tenor solo by Harry Allen on John Pizzarelli's Strollin' Over to
Nola; Jessica Molaskey's heartfelt vocal on Wrap Your Troubles
in Dreams (complete with the neglected verse); bassist Martin
Pizzarelli's statement of the theme on You Be the Judge; and
Harry Allen's caressingly Getzian tenor playing in Under a Blanket
of Blue.
Aaron Weinstein and Harry Allen duet in celebration of a 1970s meeting
of Joe Venuti and Zoot Sims on Joe and Zoot! And Larry Fuller
adds another savoury piano solo to I'm Making Believe. John
Pizzarelli only sings on a couple of tracks - We Take on the Town
and Under a Blanket of Blue - which is a pity, as his vocals
are always welcome. But he does his guitar-and-vocalising bit on Somebody
Call Hanly! The album ends with a joyful free-for-all on I'll
See You in My Dreams.
So what is the verdict on this album? Extra topping!
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Arbors Jazz ARCD 19391
