When the world comes to an end (tomorrow, next year, next millennium, who knows?) and the great almighty a.k.a. Ronnie Scott O.B.E is asked to dish out the wings to the incoming angels, when it comes to the vocalist/instrumentalist cloud then, on the strength of this release, Chet Baker may find himself with Joe Mooney in the play-off places.
Pizzarelli, son of the equally great guitarist Bucky, has a wonderful, soft cajoling, voice that, coupled with his guitar playing, can send shivers down your spine - on a good day Blaydon Jazz Club's Roly Veitch can also hit those spots.
This is up there with Frank, Mel, Chet, Nat maybe even Liberace (joke) truly one of the great jazz vocal albums although I must confess the non-vocal Oklahoma Suite didn't quite click with me but the rest, Thompson's piano, Karn's bass and the songs - complete with verse - hit the spot. I can't remember now but did Dooley Wilson sing the verse to As Times Go by in Casablanca? I don't think he did but Pizzarelli does here and even slots in a few bars of La Marseillaise into the ending. Tres magnifique! Listen also to Tea For Two the definitive vocal version.
The final track, Coffee in a Cardboard Cup not only swings like the proverbial but the lyrics just tell it like it is (the trouble with the world today is...)
Love, Love, Love it! Lance
Too Close for Comfort; I Love Betsy; I Want to be Happy; Tea For Two; Just in Time; Some Other Time; Where or When; Oklahoma Suite; Time After Time; You're All the World to me; As Time Goes By; Coffee in a Cardboard Cup.
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