JOHN PIZZARELLI

Biography

John Pizzarelli has cultivated a winning international career by singing classic standards and late-night ballads, and
by playing sublime and inventive guitar. Using greats like Nat “King” Cole and Frank Sinatra and the songs of
writers like Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen as touchstones, Pizzarelli is among the prime revivalists of the
Great American Songbook, bringing to his work the cool jazz flavor of his brilliant guitar playing.

Born on April 6, 1960, in Paterson, New Jersey, Pizzarelli has been playing guitar since age six, following in the
tradition of his father, guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli. Hanging out with his father, he was exposed to all the great
jazz music of the era, from Erroll Garner and Les Paul to Django Reinhardt. He began playing with his father at age
20, then went out on his own. Since 1992, the John Pizzarelli Trio has toured extensively. In 1993, they were
honored to open for Frank Sinatra's international tour and then joined in the celebration for his 80th birthday at
Carnegie Hall.

Pizzarelli’s voice has continued to develop with time, displaying both charm and humor. He has recorded as a
bandleader for RCA, Chesky, Stash and Novus, and in 1997 appeared in the Broadway musical Dream, a revue of
Johnny Mercer songs. Along the way, Pizzarelli has earned rave reviews. “The John Pizzarelli Trio has never been
tighter, and Pizzarelli himself has never been looser,” the Village Voice said of a recent New York show. “We can
say we’re as lucky to listen to (Pizzarelli) as Nat Cole fans were in the years before he became a legend.” Pizzarelli
was also named “Jazz Vocalist of the Year” by Swing Journal in their Readers Poll.

For Pizzarelli, the comparison to the Nat “King” Cole Trio is the highest of compliments. “I’ve always said in my
concerts that Nat ‘King’ Cole is why I do what I do.” But Pizzarelli quickly adds, “We aren’t trying to copy him.
That sound was so singular and inspired. I’ve always said we’re an extension, a new version of what that group was.”
In fact, Pizzarelli devoted his Dear Mr. Cole album to music made famous by the beloved song stylist.

Pizzarelli’s catalogue of albums also includes a touching cycle of torch ballads (After Hours), an album featuring
originals along with classic jazz and swing (Our Love is Here to Stay), and a Christmas collection (Let’s Share
Christmas). In 1999, Pizzarelli’s trio was featured in the Goldie Hawn/ Steve Martin comedy film The Out of
Towners, performing “That Old Black Magic.” On one of his last projects for RCA, John Pizzarelli Meets the
Beatles, he brought classic Beatles songs into the worlds of swing and smoky balladry.

Pizzarelli signed with the GRAMMY® Award winning label Telarc International, a division of Concord Music
Group, at the end of 1999 and in February 2000 debuted Kisses in the Rain, a diverse set of standards and original
tunes that showcases the spontaneity of his live performances within a studio setting. His trio, with Ray Kennedy on
piano and younger brother Martin Pizzarelli on bass, performs George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm,” Dorothy Fields’
“I’m In The Mood For Love” and Jimmy Van Heusen’s “I Thought About You.” Pizzarelli’s familiarity with the
American songbook is so complete that even his own songs – “I Wouldn’t Trade You” and the title ballad – sound at
home beside the classics.

His second Telarc recording, the intimate and unabashedly romantic Let There Be Love, was released in November
2000 and features Kennedy, Martin Pizzarelli and percussionist Tony Tedesco, along with saxophonist Harry Allen,
clarinetist Ken Peplowski, accordionist Dominic Cortese, cellist Jesse Levy and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.

On his 2002 album, The Rare Delight of You, Pizzarelli teamed up with veteran pianist George Shearing. In the
tradition of classic quintet-and-vocalist recordings, they lay down great standards (including “Be Careful, It’s My
Heart,” “If Dreams Come True” and “Lost April”) as well as a couple originals, all in vibrant arrangements.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the John Pizzarelli Trio, Live at Birdland was released in April 2003. This 2 CD
set includes two James Taylor tracks (“Mean Old Man” from October Road and “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely
Tonight”), Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” Rodgers and Hart’s “Manhattan,” a pair of
Rosemary Clooney staples (“Moonlight Becomes You” and “Will You Still Be Mine”), three originals and a classic
rendition of one of John’s signature numbers, “I Like Jersey Best.” That October, Pizzarelli led a 40-member live
orchestra at Radio City Music Hall in Sinatra: His Voice, His World, His Way.

In 2004, Pizzarelli introduced a new generation to bossa nova. Produced by Russ Titleman, Bossa Nova features
several Brazilian musicians including Paulo Braga, who played drums with Antonio Carlos Jobim for many years,
vocalist Daniel Jobim (Jobim’s grandson) and Cesar Camargo Mariano, who produced, composed and played on
many great Brazilian records, most notably with Elis Regina.

Knowing You, his 2005 release, pays homage to the many talented musicians and songwriters he’s met throughout his
career. The disc features material from noted pop and Broadway songwriters Jimmy McHugh, Sammy Cahn, Jimmy
Van Heusen, Frank Loesser, Alan Bergman and Johnny Mandel, among others. The album spotlights longtime
partners Ray Kennedy on piano and brother Martin Pizzarelli on bass, along with the newest member of the group,
drummer Tony Tedesco. Special guests include Cesar Camargo Mariano on piano, Bucky Pizzarelli on rhythm
guitar, Larry Goldings on organ and piano, Tony Monte on piano, Ken Peplowski on clarinet, Harry Allen on tenor
saxophone and singer Jessica Molaskey.

Pizzarelli also launched “Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli,” his nationally syndicated radio program, co-hosted
with his wife, Broadway star Jessica Molaskey. Bringing warmth, humor and that long-lost “live” feel back to radio,
the show takes place in their “deluxe living room” and the conversations are relaxed, candid, and off-the-cuff. Recent
guests include Regis Philbin, Liza Minnelli, Keely Smith and Tony Danza.

In July 2006, Telarc released Dear Mr. Sinatra, Pizzarelli’s tribute to “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” featuring the Clayton-
Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. The CD features classic standards like “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and “Nice And
Easy,” as well as rarely-recorded songs like “Ring A Ding Ding” and “The Last Dance.” In 2007, Pizzarelli was
featured in the PBS series “Legends of Jazz.”

Pizzarelli’s 2008 release, With a Song in My Heart, is a tip of the hat to Richard Rodgers’ musical legacy and
includes such well-known tunes as “It’s Easy To Remember” (a Rodgers & Hart collaboration from the 1935 film,
Mississippi), “Happy Talk” (from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, South Pacific), “The Lady is a Tramp”
(from the 1937 Rodgers & Hart musical, Babes in Arms), and many more. With a Song in My Heart also features
Don Sebesky’s GRAMMY® nominated arrangement of “Johnny One Note.”

In May 2009, Pizzarelli was the winner of the Montreal Jazz Festival’s prestigious Ella Fitzgerald Award, conferred
in recognition of the versatility, improvisational originality and quality of repertoire of a jazz singer renowned on the
international scene.

Scheduled for release in February 2010, Rockin’ In Rhythm, the singer-guitarist’s first ever Ellington recording,
features 12 classic tracks that prove Pizzarelli – like Ellington – knows how to show off the strengths of the
musicians in his band. In addition to a cut for solo guitar, four songs highlight the quartet (with pianist Larry Fuller,
bassist Martin Pizzarelli and drummer Tony Tedesco) and seven include the Swing Seven horns with arrangements
by Don Sebesky.

Four tracks highlight his quartet (with pianist Larry Fuller, bassist Martin Pizzarelli and drummer Tony Tedesco) and
seven tracks include the Swing Seven horns with arrangements by Don Sebesky.

In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, Pizzarelli has been a special guest on recordings for major pop
names such as James Taylor, Natalie Cole, Tom Wopat, Rickie Lee Jones and Dave Von Ronk, as well as leading
jazz artists like Rosemary Clooney, Ruby Braff, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen and, of course, Bucky
Pizzarelli. He was recently featured opposite Donna Summer, Jon Secada and Roberta Flack on the GRAMMY®
Award winning CD, Songs From The Neighborhood: The Music of Mr. Rogers.

Pizzarelli has performed numerous times on the country’s most popular national television shows such as “The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Live With Regis & Kelly,” “The Tony
Danza Show,” “The CBS Early Show,” Fox News Channel and Jerry Lewis’s Labor Day Telethon.

Pizzarelli continues to tour throughout the United States, Europe and Japan, performing classic pop, jazz and swing,
while setting the standard for stylish modern jazz. Please visit www.johnpizzarelli.com for tour schedule,
discography, radio guests and much more.
Telarc Discography
Kisses in the Rain (2000) CD-83491
Let There Be Love (2000) CD-83518
The Rare Delight of You (with the George Shearing Quintet) (2002) CD-83546
Live at Birdland (2003) CD-83577
Bossa Nova (2004) CD-83591
Knowing You (2005) CD-83615
Dear Mr. Sinatra (2006) CD-83638
With a Song in My Heart: John Pizzarelli Sings the Music of Richard Rodgers (2008) CD-83676
Rockin’ In Rhythm (2010) TEL-31921-02