Jazz singer/musician John Pizzarelli first came to the public’s attention in a major way in 1995 with the release of Dear Mr. Cole, a recording celebrating the work of Nat “King” Cole. Four years later he released P.S. Mr. Cole. As part of multiple celebrations of the centennial of Cole, Pizzarelli has a new recording on Ghostlight Records called For Centennial Reasons: 100 Year Salute to Nat King Cole.
Pizzarelli has two local performances. The first, on Friday night at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, features the work of Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim. On Saturday he and his trio will be performing at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center.
I recently spoke with Pizzarelli by phone about his passion for the singer who made such songs as “Unforgettable,” “Nature Boy” and “Mona Lisa” standards.
You previously recorded two albums dedicated to Cole. How and why does Cole continue to inspire you?
Nat “King” Cole is the reason I do what I do. He inspires me on a daily basis. It just doesn’t stop. What propelled the making of this record is I got back to just working with piano, bass and guitar, which I hadn’t done in years. I was really enjoying that. The centennial was coming and this was a good time to do this.
When it came time to doing a third album, how did you decide which songs to include and which songs to exclude?
I always try to pick the jazz tunes, quote unquote, and I never pick any of the popular tunes. It’s always about the tempos for me. I’m trying to find three up-tempo things to make an arc of some sort, even though people don’t listen to records like that anymore. We [the trio*] have been playing “Paper Moon,” “Route 66” and “Straighten Up and Fly Right” a lot. This is the group I’m playing with and I wanted to include those.
Do you make new discoveries when you re-record a song like “Paper Moon?”
I love playing that arrangement. It felt effortless from playing it a lot in the last few years. I felt we really had it down so let’s make a record so it sounds as effortless as it feels. It’s like the greatest thing I could play. You know how people feel when they hear the first notes of “In the Mood?” That’s how I feel with “Paper Moon” and Nat “King” Cole.
Beyond wanting people to enjoy your record are you hoping they’ll go back and listen to what Cole did with these songs?
Oh sure. I think that’s the fun part. Where did he find this? I’ve done that with other people’s records and I hope they’ll do it with mine.
In today’s “gone in 60 seconds” culture, what would you tell people is the reason Nat “King” Cole is still relevant today?
Everything about him is flawless. He’s natural and sincere, whatever songs he’s singing. And he’s an amazing jazz musician. Everyone keeps discovering him and it is every generation. But Nat Cole has this other thing that just doesn’t go away. It’s a stunning story and musically, every time I listen to him I think, “I can’t believe what they’re doing and where they’re going.”
You seem deeply passionate about Cole.
I’m promoting myself, but this guy got me here. Nobody had the material he did. He cultivated this group of songwriters who kept throwing these songs at him: “When Sunny Gets Blue,” “Walking My Baby Back Home,” “Red Sails in the Sunset.” No one has this interesting catalog of songs.
Cole once said “I’m an interpreter of stories. When I perform it’s like sitting down at my piano and telling fairy stories.” Is that how you see your work?
I guess I’m trying to convey that. I do stay away from a lot of the material that is more story-like. He sings the hell out of “Nature Boy.” I like that song, but I don’t know if I’m the one to tell that story. There’s a certain storytelling that goes on with singing. The thing I’ve always gone back to is Rosemary Clooney came to see us and she said, “Just keep telling the truth.” That’s the best way to think of it. The second you are phony they’ll always know it. That would be the part I have in mind when I’m approaching the material.
*The musicians who make up Pizzarelli’s trio are Mike Karn on double bass and Konrad Paszudzki on piano.
For tickets at Irvine Barclay go here. For tickets at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center go here.
Main photo by Brian K. Saunders.