Bucky Pizzarelli’s swinging rhythm guitar was sought after by Benny Goodman, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin and Carly Simon.
Guitarist John “Bucky” Pizzarelli was a humble New Jersey legend. He often performed with his accomplished son, John Jr.No matter what was on for Sunday dinner at the Pizzarellis’ Saddle River home — even if it was a fragrant tray of mama’s lasagna — the main dish was always music.
“Everything we learned, we learned on the gig with him,” John said. “Everything was a trial by fire. The first couple of years were really rough, but that was what shaped how well I got to be.”“He was a funny teacher, but very inspirational,” John said. “He was good at making you feel good about what you were doing.”
An enduring part of his legacy is the career of John Jr., who took up the family trade as a pre-teen, starting with banjo and trumpet, but settling into a long career as a guitarist and singer. Both he and his father were initially taught to play by Bucky’s uncles, Pete and Bobby Domenic. The two recorded a record in 2007 with brother and bassist Martin Pizzarelli, “Sunday at Pete’s,” which was an homage to those early days in Clifton.
In 1985, both Pizzarellis joined the legendary Les Paul, who lived in Mahwah, and Tal Farlow, who lived in Sea Bright, as part of a “Jersey Jazz Guitars” show at Rutgers University. Earlier in their prolific careers, Paul and Bucky were among those dubbed the “Jersey Guitar Mafia” because of their ubiquitous presence on recordings made in New York City.
John also ventured beyond traditional jazz, applying his sweet, affable swing and mellifluous fretboard runs to reinterpreting rock songs by The Beatles and others, as well as collaborating with Paul McCartney and James Taylor.
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