INFORMATION FOR
Grammy-winning producer, guitarist, and vocalist John Pizzarelli returns to the Jazz Room at William Paterson University in Wayne on Sunday, March 29 to celebrate the centennial of iconic singer Tony Bennett with Dear Mr. Bennett, a heartfelt tribute concert and the title of his new album. The concert begins at 3:00 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus.
Pizzarelli and his trio, featuring bassist Mike Karn and pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, will perform timeless songs made famous by Tony Bennett. Dear Mr. Bennett, released on March 3 via Green Hill Music, is both a loving farewell to a profoundly influential musician who meant so much to so many, and a spirited celebration.
The Pizzarelli jazz family has had a long connection to William Paterson University. John’s father, the late legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, was one of the first WP jazz faculty members; he taught for many years on campus and appeared many times on the Jazz Room series, often accompanied by his equally virtuosic son.
John Pizzarelli is equally known as a guitarist and vocalist, dedicating many of his performances to the diverse elements of the Great American Songbook and the recordings of Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Zoot Sims, Tony Bennett, and Paul McCartney, among many others, often with his wife, singer Jessica Molasky. He proudly carries on his father’s humor and Jersey sensibility, as well as his amazing command of the guitar.
This concert is sponsored by the Woody Shapiro Foundation.
The concert will be preceded by “Sittin’ In,” the Jazz Room’s accompanying “meet the artist” concert preview featuring interviews with jazz artists and guest speakers. This informal discussion, free to all Jazz Room ticketholders, begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Shea Recital Hall.
Tickets for this concert range from $33 to $53. For tickets or additional information, visit wp-presents.org, or contact the Shea Center Box Office at 973.720.2371 or boxoffice@wpunj.edu.
William Paterson University has been a flagship of jazz education for more than 50 years and is recognized internationally for its Jazz Studies Program and nationally acclaimed Jazz Room series of concerts each fall and spring.
The Jazz Room series is the longest-running program of its kind in the United States. Launched in 1978, the Jazz Room has welcomed more than 500 jazz legends to the stage, including Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Joe Williams, Marian McPartland, Slide Hampton, Kenny Burrell, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett, Clark Terry, Michael and Randy Brecker, the Vanguard Orchestra, and more. Concerts have encompassed the entire spectrum of jazz, from early jazz and swing to avant garde, and from intimate solo performances to big bands.
The performance series provides support for the University’s internationally renowned Jazz Studies Program, founded in 1973. The program draws students from across the United States and abroad under the current direction of Grammy Award-winning pianist Bill Charlap.
The spring Jazz Room series will conclude on Sunday, May 3, with saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera and the William Paterson Latin Jazz Ensemble.
The Jazz Room at William Paterson University has been made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
