The Pizzarelli Boys consist of the family patriarch,
Bucky, on acoustic guitar, sons
John (electric guitar) and
Martin (bass), pianist
Larry Fuller, drummer
Tony Tedesco, and young up-and-coming violinist
Aaron Weinstein. With vocalist
Jessica Molaskey (a talented Broadway actress and
John's wife) added on some tracks. Executive producer Paul Hanley (actually,
John and
Martin are also listed as executive producers) chose the songs from among his personal favorites, including several that are rarely, if ever, heard in a jazz setting.
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" (which has achieved cult status) would seem like one of the most unpromising choices, yet the group succeeds by focusing their jam on the first half of the song and barely touching on the latter half. Gayle Caldwell (who was a member of the '60s folk group
the New Christy Minstrels) penned the cheery ballad "Cycles," which features strong solos by
John and
Weinstein. The bulk of this release is devoted to standards that
Bucky likely could have played in his sleep, including a lightly swinging "By Myself," a deliberately lyrical "Over the Rainbow," and a heartfelt "Danny Boy," the latter featuring the talented vocalist
Jessica Molaskey. ~ Ken Dryden