Customer Reviews

John Pizzarelli Meets The Beatles

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4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I've been a fan of John Pizzarelli for some time now. As a guitarist and interpreter of jazz standards he has no equal. His interpretations of some of these songs by The Beatles helps shed new light on these classic songs. While a few of the ballads tend to drag a bit, the arrangements are wonderful. The best moments are the swing arrangements done in the style of the big bands. The band sounds great! The best song on the CD though, in my opinion, is "For No One"...Not one of McCartney's better known songs, it nonetheless represents some of his finest lyric writing. hearing John give it a new and more sensitive reading brought tears to my eyes.

What a pleasure and a surprise that someone is willing to give Lennon and McCartney the same treatment accorded Harold Arlen or Gershwin: to use their songs as a template for great performances in different styles, regardless of the original context. And what a natural John Pizzarelli turns out to be for the assignment: as one of the few crooners to actually come of age during the Beatles' era, he treats these songs with reverence and understanding, while still finding a glorious swing beat to underscore them. He is aided and abetted not only by one of the strongest rhythm sections on record (his pianist, Ray Kennedy, is a phenomenon, and the interplay between the two of them and bassist Martin Pizzarelli is virtually supernatural), but by the always imaginative and extraordinary arrangements of Don Sebesky, who gives life and support to many of the tunes here. All that imagination and creativity sometimes gets out of hand (a rap section in "Get Back"?), but who can quibble with all the joy and swing to be found on this lovely and unexpected record.

And while we're on the subject, Pizzarelli's "Love Is Here to Stay" is also highly recommended - an absolute classic of the genre!

Wow! This was the first time I'd ever heard John Pizzarelli, and what a great introduction to his talent. John is obviously a fantastic guitarist, but the chord changes and style flip-flops he introduces in these Beetle hits are brilliant. The big band sounds as good as the Audubon Jazz Explosion Big Band, and the soloists, especially the clarinetist are tops. Don't miss this CD, it will make your heart race.

After seeing the concert on t.v the album was a compulsory buy. Great arrangements from Don Sebesky compliment Pizzarelli`s Chet Baker like vocals.As ever,Ray Kennedy`s swinging piano playing shines through,and John`s unique sounding guitar playing is a pleasing treat.All in all a great way to sell good musicianship to the "not so"jazz fan.

John Pizzarelli has made this 79 yr.old lady reaaly enjoy the tunes of the Beatles for the first time.He made them SWING!!! I hope I'm showing an appreciation of the Beatles as well as Mr Pizzarelli and I can't wait for my 50ish kids to hear this particularly since I yelled at them to"turn down that noise" all the time they were in hightschool.

My friend likes to listen to live jazz concert because he can enjoy the interaction among the musicians, and the "joy and playfulness" of the interaction. The same feelings can be found in this album. Though some critics say that Beatles' tunes are not suitable for jazz, JP and friends don't care too much and just want to have some good time with the tunes. How lucky for us that they recorded the good time so that we can listen to it.

One would think that Beatles songs could only remain as such, but John Pizzarelli takes them and makes them his own with the help of his trio (Ray Kennedy-piano and brother Martin Pizzarelli-bass) and Don Sebesky's swinging big band arrangments. Can't Buy Me Love takes one back to the days of swing dances, Here Comes the Sun might remind some of Jobim, and Oh Darling is reminisent of a BB King jam session. The Long and Winding Road, perhaps the best track, drifts along like an Irish lullaby. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see these songs performed live. The CD does a wonderful job of capturing those sweet notes.

John Pizzarelli's latest effort effectively blends the pop and jazz idioms as Lenon and McCartney are interpreted as never before. Pizzarellisucceeds in providing a unique perspective on classic Beatles tunes while still maintaining respect for the originals. As always, his guitar work is stellar with strong phrasing and solos. Vocally, this may be his best work to date with particularly impressive performances on the ballads. Two highlights of the CD are a swinging,big band arrangement of "Can't Buy Me Love" which includes an infectious Basie-like riff and "Here Comes the Sun"in which Pizzarelli performs a bossa nova arrangement that would make Tom Jobim proud. John Pizzarelli seems to be getting better all the time and the high level of musicianship he brings to this CD is enough to warrant your purchase.

My wife and I recently saw the John Pizzarelli Trio at The Algonquin Hotel here in New York and were dazzled...not only by his performance but some of the cuts he played off his new CD "John Pizzarelli Meets The Beatles."

I think Jonathan Schwartz summed it up best in the liner notes when he said "Pizzarelli has merged the language of Nat King Cole with the sly catalog of the Beatles...he has created the first bi-lingual album in English."

It's a must have for any music collection!

Folks who said that this CD is a bad album must be deaf or not a really swing lover. I, a longtime and huge fan of Mr. Pizzarelli belived that he made a great record, translating Beatles' great songs to his uniquely style with various approach, sometimes in slow tempo and sometimes in an upbeat tempo. And the result is very good. For Mr. Pizzarelli's fans, this is a new experience of big band and swing played standards and for Beatles' fans you'll hear the songs in the new soul. Mr. Pizzarelli, you're great and always created a great idea. I like this album as well as I love Mr. Pizzarelli's other albums and I also loves Mr. Pizzarelli himself.

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