John Pizzarelli: With a Song in My Heart

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Daniel LeDuc wrote in the Washington Post: "Pizzarelli has been hanging around music since childhood. He now performs regularly with his father and his brother, Martin, who plays upright bass. With [Jessica] Molaskey joining the mix, they have been called the 'von Trapps on martinis.' Growing up, he envisioned being the next Billy Joel or James Taylor. On weekends, though, he played at many of his father's gigs, jamming on classic jazz and old standards. 'They had so much fun. If you wanted to be part of that group of guys, you had to know their language, and their language was those songs,' Pizzarelli said. 'My father told me, "You're the only guy who plays jazz to support his rock-and-roll habit."' After high school, Pizzarelli formed his own jazz trio and began to tour. … Now, onstage, Pizzarelli's comic timing matches his jazz rhythms. … Pizzarelli now tours with his trio 40 weeks a year throughout the country and in Europe, South America and Japan; they'll play two shows at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis today. He has released more than 20 CDs, the most recent just a few weeks ago: 'With a Song in My Heart.'"