Customer Reviews

The Rare Delight of You

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With a growing number of singers reinterpreting the old Jazz standards, the results have far too often fallen far short of their forebearers. With the recent demise of Peggy Lee and Rosemary Clooney the stylistic shortcomings of some of the current batch of jazz vocalists are even more pronounced. Then there is John Pizzarelli, a top-notch guitarist with a fine voice. This pairing of John with the legendary George Shearing is absolutely shimmering. It is largely a reinterpretation of the repetoire Shearing used with Ms. Lee and others but includes some of Pizzarelli's own compositions as well. The playing by both Pizzarelli and Shearing's combo is wonderful throughout.

Mr. Shearing, at about 80 years of age, has certainly earned his place among the limited number of truly remarkable musicians. While not as technically impressive (perhaps) as some other pianists, after only a few bars of any tune the elegance of his style gently asserts itself. His phrasing and choice of chord voicings/inversions are so indisputably "right" that I found myself just sitting back and smiling at the sophistication that is on display here. Mr. Pizzarelli,(guitar and vocals) who actually headlines the SACD title, is a wonderful artist in his own right, and this union of older and younger masters is destined to be (IMHO) one of the more highly regarded recordings of the genre. The ensemble players on the project also turn in a top shelf effort. All of these factors are even further enhanced by the absolutely first rate engineering done by the Telarc record label. This recording was made in the native SACD (super audio CD) direct stream digital format. If you haven't experienced well recorded SACD on a good system, and music is important to you, you really owe it to yourself to check it out. It is a far, far better medium than standard CD. The downside to it is that poorly engineered SACD recordings (and there are a few out there) become nearly or completely intolerable, with every defect clearly audible. No worry of that on this recording, though. So far as my ears can tell, it is essentially flawless.

What a delight this combination is~~ George Shearing, who has the smoothest piano technique around is complemented perfectly by John Pizzarelli whose lyrical voice is so warm and seems to be directed to you! John's wonderful guitar work on the seven-string in duet with George's piano is a match made in jazz heaven. You can nearly hear the chuckling that must have accompanied this recording; both men are so charming! Highlights include LULU'S BACK IN TOWN, which I've always thought of as being in Mel Torme's domain, but is given a new fresh treatment here. Listen to SHINE ON YOUR SHOES and don't grin. I dare you :) Now ~~ where is the news of the tour?? =|=

Despite Shearing and Quintet only a few tracks really sparkle. Despite a Telarc recording, I found the mix not very clean and disproportional amount of bass boost. I consider this recording for Pizzarelli collectors. ...

I listen to this one all the time. "The Lady's In Love With You", "Lulu's Back in Town", and "Lucky to be Me" are my favorites. Some good, swinging music.

Amazing musicians join together to make hit tunes like "Lulu's Back In Town," and "Lemon Twist" come alive with a fresh-sound that'll have your toes tapping. The combination of John's guitar and vocals with George Shering's piano is a "rare delight." Great for cocktail party time or anytime!

Very nice CD. He should be proud of this work. When in Vegas I saw him and Brian Evans and enjoyed them both. This CD is really nice.

I've heard two other Pizzarelli CD's and, while many of the tracks on them are terrific, both discs have an unfortunate saccharine tendency which drag them down. But this CD is different, and I think it's because the wonderful George Shearing's drive to keep things swinging keeps Pizzarelli on the right track. The song selection is great. And while Pizzarelli may not have the greatest pipes around, his evident love of the songs makes up for it. If you like your jazz fun, get this one.

I love listening to the way John's voice can match his guitar like a twin !

The Rare Delight of You is that rare delight of an album that enlightens the musical palate and elevates the human spirit. It is a truly marvelous musical achievement that demonstrates the mastery of John Pizzarelli as today's foremost interpreter of the Great American Songbook. George Shearing proudly and astutely recognized the new standard bearer of the standards in recording this masterpiece with John Pizzarelli. Kudos will be in abundance at Grammy time next year, as this CD is a sure bet to bring home Pizzarelli's well earned first golden statuette.