John Pizzarelli // SFJAZZ Center

Sing Sing Sing Series: A week devoted to artists bringing fresh perspectives to the vocal jazz tradition.

"Mr. Pizzarelli is a suave, gregarious entertainer and guitar virtuoso with a remarkable facility for cool scat singing " — The New York Times

Described by the Toronto Star as “the genial genius of the guitar,” singer and guitarist John Pizzarelli is one of the prime interpreters of the Great American Songbook. Son of swing guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, he began on guitar at age six, performing with the likes of Benny Goodman and Les Paul by his teens. Over a career that has included sharing the stage with Frank Sinatra and starring in the 1997 Johnny Mercer tribute Dream on Broadway, Pizarrelli has maintained a inimitable style that combines a classic crooner’s warmly intimate approach with a distinctive instrumental flair and a master’s touch on the guitar. A singularly prolific artist, he's recorded 20 albums as a leader and collaborated with an impressive list of greats including George Shearing, Rosemary Clooney, the Boston Pops, Ray Brown, and the Manhattan Transfer. His latest recording, Midnight McCartney, is a tribute to the former Beatle, with the genesis of the project coming by way of a suggestion by McCartney himself, who included Pizzarelli on his 2012 GRAMMY-winner, Kisses on the Bottom. Midnight McCartney hit #4 on the Billboard jazz chart, and was acclaimed by The New Yorker as the “best collection of McCartney covers ever recorded.”