Acclaimed guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli will perform at Irvine Barclay Theatre on Sept. 7. We asked him about the upcoming show.
What was it like to have a renowned guitarist (Bucky Pizzarelli) as a father?
There were so many kinds of music in the house. He was never somebody who dismissed any of the music that we liked. As I got older, I had a better appreciation for what my father was doing. I started to like the records he was making, and I got really interested in that.
So it nurtured your passion for music?
I heard the best musicians on their instruments in my household. Zoot Sims and Les Paul were in our house. Benny Goodman, Slam Stewart. I wanted nothing more than to try and aspire to that.
How do you reimagine classic songs?
I always think, ‘How can I translate a song into the style of music that I play on a daily basis?’ If it’s a Beatles song, I try to think of it as a jazz song. If it’s a good song, then it’s going to hold up to a translation.
What can we expect from your upcoming performance?
We have a few of the Don Sebesky things from our Beatles records that we’ll play that are really terrific. Every time, I get emotional at rehearsals because I can remember the recording sessions and thinking about all the hard work that these arrangers put into those notes and how beautiful they still are year after year.
