Bucky Pizzarelli
To me Bucky Pizzarelli is a jazz icon. I play jazz guitar, but Bucky is one of the creators of the genre. I can hear so much history in his notes, and yet his sound is always fresh. He is a seasoned veteran whose chops are still very much intact today. There's a point in "Seven Come Eleven" when he pours on the fire and starts playing this furious chord-melody passage that just keeps going and going, and it would have surely brought an audience to its feet in a live setting. In contrast, listen to his tender acoustic guitar rendition of "Lil' Darlin'". So beautiful! It was a great honor to play with such a legend. I had wanted to record with him for many years and I'm blessed to have finally gotten the chance to do so. He's also a great guy. He brought a positive, cheerful energy to the sessions and he was an absolute joy to work with.