bucky pizzarelli, as the NEW YORKER notes, is a truly elegant guitarist who can swing the contemporary noodlers right out of the room. mr. pizzarelli has been working for decades and has eschewed post-bop for pre-bop, emphasizing swing and truly melodic music. his imporvisations are not crammed full of notes, but rather explore the way a tune sings. he is remarkable for having dexterity, but also keeping the mood and emotion of every song he plays. this live performance captures him in prime form as he and his quintet run through a set of standards that somehow seem refreshed to be simply played, not bent beyond all recognition. it is wonderful to hear such energy and interplay. a recent critic noted that jazz sometimes forgets that its development does not mean completely cancelling out earlier forms in favor of later forms, mr. pizzarelli ably exemplifies this. this is fresh and fun, even if it evokes a style from days gone by.
