John “Bucky” Pizzarelli
Jazz guitarist
Born: Jan. 9, 1926, in Paterson, New Jersey
Died: April 1, 2020, in Saddle River, New Jersey
New Jersey Hall of Fame, Class of 2011: Arts & Entertainment
It’s no wonder Bucky Pizzarelli loved New Jersey. The home in Saddle River where he and his wife Ruth lived for the last four decades of the guitarist’s life could not have been more perfect. Situated on a wooded hillside overlooking their town’s namesake river, the house was a short drive from the hustle and bustle (and jazz gigs) of New York City. Here was a refuge where the multi-talented master could surround himself with his artwork, his guitars, and photos from his storied career.
Born and raised in Paterson, Pizzarelli learned to play guitar and banjo as a boy—thanks to the influence and tutoring of his musical uncles, Pete and Bobby Domenick. His own family ran a grocery store. Pizzarelli joined his first band, playing classical music, while attending Central High School. He began playing professionally at 16, initially in a local band led by a blind accordion player named Joe Mooney. The following year, he went on tour with the popular singer/trumpeter Vaughn Monroe.
At 18, Pizzarelli was drafted into the army. He served in Germany in the final months of World War II, then returned stateside to rejoin the Monroe band. His big break came in 1952, when NBC hired him as a staff musician in New York. By 1964, he joined “The Tonight Show” band, the highly visible in-house orchestra for Johnny Carson.
In addition to his TV work, Pizzarelli was an in-demand session player for a variety of recording artists, from Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles to pop acts such as Fabian and Dion & the Belmonts. He also performed in clubs in small pop and jazz combos. In the 1970s, Pizzarelli focused more on jazz, touring with Benny Goodman and recording with prominent jazz artists such as the saxophonist Zoot Sims.
Around 1969, Pizzarelli started performing on a seven-string guitar, which added a new dimension to his warm and rhythmically solid playing. In his later decades, Pizzarelli became a fixture in New York-area clubs, often playing in intimate duo settings with fellow guitarists such as George Barnes, Frank Vignola, and Ed Laub, a former student.
Pizzarelli’s most frequent collaborator starting in the 1980s was his son, the critically acclaimed singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli. The two recorded together, performed in clubs together, and played as sidemen together, including in 2012 on Paul McCartney’s album of standards, “Kisses on the Bottom.” The senior Pizzarelli also performed with his younger son, bassist Martin Pizzarelli, and John’s wife, the singer Jessica Molaskey.
The indefatigable Pizzarelli was still performing in his 90s. In 2015, just before turning 90, he told New Jersey Monthly, “Why am I gonna retire? I’m gonna sit home and watch Judge Judy all day? No thanks!”