As part of the Bay Area Cabaret series, husband and wife John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey brought their show "Children and Art" from the Cafe Carlyle in NYC to San Francisco. New to their band are pianist Konrad Paszkudzki and drummer Kevin Kanner. John's younger brother Martin Pizzarelli remains on bass.
The darling couple of the cabaret world, John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey banter so playfully you feel as though they're hosting you at an intimate cocktail party in their home. Their personal chemistry certainly shines through. Musically, they're an interesting pair. Mr. Pizzarelli is a jazz guitarist following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Bucky Pizzarelli. He often scats along with his guitar, blending the tones so perfectly, it leaves you wondering where the guitar ends and the voice begins. He croons his ballads in a way that reminds me a bit of Chet Baker. Ms. Molaskey, on the other hand, comes to us from Broadway and it's clear that is where her strengths lie. She sings out her tunes with the controlled precision of a leading lady. Here's where the pairing gets interesting. I get the feeling when it comes to jazz Ms. Molaskey is like a wife rooting for her husband's favorite football team instead of her own. (Sorry for the football analogy. The show was during the 49ers championship game.) A clear example of this is their interpretation of "I only have eyes for you" (sung by Mr. Pizzarelli) arranged into the Cy Coleman-Carolyn Leigh classic "It Amazes Me" (sung by Ms. Molaskey.) His half of the piece is swinging jazz. Her half is Broadway Ballad. It works. It's just an interesting pairing. Listen for yourself:
Mr. Pizzarelli's rapid fire guitar playing on "Cloudburst/(I'm Not) Getting Married Today" had me worried that Ms. Molaskey wouldn't be able to get out all the very funny lyrics. Silly me. She kept up beautifully. Although, I'll admit I wish he hadn't rushed the tune so much:
My wish for their next show would be for Mr. Pizzarelli to sit out for just a tune or two and have his wife perform with just piano, bass, and drums. Speaking of drums...Kevin Kanner deserves special mention. He's quite a young talent!
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