John Pizzarelli Meets The Beatles (1998)

Cover versions of Beatles tunes are a penny a dozen and jazz covers of Beatles tunes are a dime a dozen, but I really enjoy what's going on with this disc. A testament not only to Pizzarelli's playing and singing, but also to Don Sebesky's arranging skills.

In the album's liner notes by Jonathan Schwartz, then of New York City's WQEW radio, he writes

Pizzarelli has merged the language of the Nat Cole Trio with the sly catalogue of the Beatles. He has created the first bilingual album in English.

Hyperbole aside, the trio part is accurate, but there's also some big band to be found here as well. I'm glad I happened across it.

Reviews/ratings:

• DownBeat (★★★★): "These are jazzy, pop confections reminiscent of wide ties and bell-bottom suits, paisley and polka dots, fun, not profound."
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz, 5th ed. (★★★): "makes the best go of jazzing John 'n' Paul that anyone ever has"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #25

I'm surprised this album didn't chart higher. There weren't a lot of CDs with original jazz compositions being sold at that time, so a Beatles covers album should have fit right in to the milieu. See for yourself:

A lot of various artists compilations (4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16, 18, & 22), reissues/repackaging (8, 11), tribute albums (1, 3, 14, 19, 21, 25), and standards albums (9, 15). That leaves just seven albums with mostly newly written music (2, 5, 13, 17, 20, 23, & 24). But I digress.

Tracks: You get both the tracks you'd expect (Here Comes The Sun, And I Love Her) alongside those you might not (I've Just Seen A Face, Things We Said Today). An instrumental thrown in for good measure (Eleanor Rigby). Almost all the tracks are enjoyable, the only skippable tracks are Get Back and the schmaltzy Long And Winding Road.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None