Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » John Pizzarelli: P.S. Mr. Cole

John Pizzarelli: P.S. Mr. Cole

By John Sharpe
December 1, 1999
View read count

Much of guitarist John Pizzarelli’s work has been modeled after the drummerless trio of Nat King Cole. In 1994 John paid tribute to his idol with his recording, Dear Mr. Cole. P.S. Mr. Cole is, obviously, a sequel to that effort. Tutored by his legendary father, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, John is a fine rhythm player and soloist, but his singing is only average. Nevertheless, his engaging style and relaxed delivery tend to compensate for his vocal limitations. Joining the guitarist are pianist Ray Kennedy and John’s bass-playing brother Martin. Both men are perfectly attuned to Pizzarelli’s mainstream aesthetic and supply competent support. Old friend Harry Allen (tenor) pops in on two tunes and contributes a pair of succinct, swingin’ solos. The bulk of the generous, 18-track repertoire is comprised of swing-era standards and chestnuts. One could tire of hearing another run-through of such lightweight fare if Pizzarelli was not such an unpretentious, charming entertainer. As it stands, P.S. Mr. Cole makes for enjoyable, if undemanding, listening. (###)

Personnel

John Pizzarelli

guitar

Album information

Title: P.S. Mr. Cole | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: RCA Victor

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Holiday Music '99
< Previous

Sun Ra Arkestra Directed by Marshall...
Next >

John Pizzarelli Concerts

Oct 17 Fri

John Pizzarelli Trio

Gateway Playhouse
Somers Point, NJ

Jan 23 Fri

John Pizzarelli Trio

New Orleans Jazz Market
New Orleans, LA

Jan 23 Fri

John Pizzarelli Trio

New Orleans Jazz Market
New Orleans, LA

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.