John Pizzarelli - One Night With You: The John Pizzarelli Collection (1996)

If you like your contemporary jazz crooners smooth and sweet, then likely John Pizzarelli is your main man above today's many post-Sinatra posers. This recording is as solid an effort as he has offered musically, or in terms of his stance and intelligent selection of material. While his guitar playing is subsumed, it is nonetheless precious, and when occasionally paired alongside his father, Bucky Pizzarelli, priceless. The surrounding cast is outstanding, with bassists Milt Hinton, Ron Carter, or Michael Moore; drummers Butch Miles or Connie Kay; and especially the great pianist Dave McKenna -- along with cameos from trumpeter Clark Terry and violinist Johnny Frigo. You hear ten standards all done lovingly, the pop tune "Candy" (which is really the only throwaway), and the Slim Gaillard/Slam Stewart goof novelty blues "Oh Me, Oh My, Oh Gosh." Two originals are included: "Stray Horn," an instrumental bluesy ballad tribute to Billy Strayhorn; and the cutely sung "Take My Smile." This is a winning effort, unadulterated by over-commercialized smarmy pop-culture claptrap -- perhaps honest to a fault but sincere and authentic enough to go straight to your heart. -- Michael G. Nastos