Born on April 6, 1960, in Paterson, New Jersey, Pizzarelli has been playing guitar since age six, following in the tradition of his father, guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli. Hanging out with his father, John was exposed to all the great jazz music of the era, from Erroll Garner and Les Paul to Django Reinhardt. He began playing with his father at age 20, before going out on his own.
John Pizzarelli has recorded as a bandleader for RCA, Chesky, Stash and Novus, and in 1997 appeared in the Broadway musical Dream, a revue of Johnny Mercer songs. Along the way, Pizzarelli and his band have earned rave reviews. Reviewers often compare the Pizzarelli Trio to jazz icons such as Nat "King" Cole: "The John Pizzarelli Trio has never been tighter, and Pizzarelli himself has never been looser," said The Village Voice of a recent New York show. "We can say we’re as lucky to listen to [Pizzarelli] as Nat Cole fans were in the years before he became a legend."
For Pizzarelli, the comparison to the Nat "King" Cole Trio is the highest of compliments. "I've always said in my concerts that Nat 'King' Cole is why I do what I do." Using greats like Nat "King" Cole and Frank Sinatra and the songs of writers like Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen as touchstones, Pizzarelli is among the prime contemporary interpreters of the great American songbook, bringing to the work his signature style and brilliant guitar playing.
With Telarc’s recent release of Dear Mr. Sinatra, an homage to 'Ol' Blue Eyes,' Pizzarelli's album count now stands at 21, an odyssey that began with My Blue Heaven in 1990. Some of his most recent CDs include, Knowing You (Telarc 2005), Bossa Nova (Telarc 2004), and Live at Birdland (Telarc 2003).
A veteran radio personality, Pizzarelli hosted "New York Tonight" on WNEW from 1984-1988. Now, with the launch of "Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli," he brings warmth, humor and that long-lost "live" feel back to radio. The show takes place in their "deluxe living room," where he and his guests play live and recorded music, and enjoy conversation that is relaxed, candid, and off-the-cuff. Recent guests include Regis Philbin, Liza Minnelli, Peter Cincotti, Keely Smith, Steve Tyrell and Tony Danza.
In addition to being a bandleader, radio personality and solo performer, John has been a special guest on recordings for major pop names such as James Taylor, Natalie Cole, Tom Wopat, Rickie Lee Jones and Dave Von Ronk, as well as leading jazz artists like Rosemary Clooney, Ruby Braff, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen and, of course, Bucky Pizzarelli. He was recently featured opposite Donna Summer, Jon Secada and Roberta Flack on the Grammy Award winning CD, Songs From The Neighborhood: The Music of Mr. Rogers.
John has performed numerous times on the country's most popular national television shows such as "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The Late Show with David Letterman," "Live With Regis & Kelly," "The Tony Danza Show," "The CBS Early Show," Fox News Channel and Jerry Lewis's Labor Day Telethon.
Pizzarelli continues to tour throughout the United States, Europe and Japan, performing classic pop, jazz and swing, while setting the standard for stylish modern jazz.
Full Discography:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pizzarelli#Select_discography
With a Song in My Heart
John Pizzarelli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we couldn't have changed since the last time
To my joy and delight
It's a new kind of love at first sight
Though it's you and it's I all the time
Every meeting's a marvelous pastime
You're increasingly sweet
I greet you with a song in my heart
I behold your adorable face
Just a song at the start
But it's soon is a hymn to your grace
When the music swells
I'm touching your hand
It tells that you're standing near, and
At the sound of your voice
Heaven opens its portals to me
Can I help but rejoice
That a song such as ours came to be
But I always knew
I would live life through
With a song in my heart for you
The song “With A Song In My Heart” by John Pizzarelli is a romantic love song that expresses the joy and excitement of being in love. The opening lines of the song refer to the fact that the two lovers have been meeting every night and that their love remains fresh and new each time. The singer is filled with joy and delight, and he describes this feeling as “a new kind of love at first sight.” This implies that even though the couple has been together for a while, their love and passion for each other continue to grow stronger with each meeting.
The chorus of the song focuses on the singer’s adoration for his beloved. He is constantly captivated by the woman’s beauty and grace, and he is filled with happiness just by being in her presence. The music swells, and the singer describes how he is touched by her hand and feels her close to him. He is entranced by her voice, which he describes as heaven opening its portals to him, and he rejoices in the fact that he has found a love that is as beautiful and uplifting as the song they share.
In the final verse, the singer reflects on his love for his partner and how he has always known that he would live his life with a song in his heart for her. This line implies that he has found a love that he knows will last a lifetime, and that he will always be filled with joy and happiness as long as he has her by his side.
Line by Line Meaning
Though I know that we meet every night
Despite the fact that I am aware of us meeting every night
And we couldn't have changed since the last time
Our situation has not changed since our last meeting
To my joy and delight
I am happy and pleased
It's a new kind of love at first sight
Although we have met before, my feelings for you are still fresh and exciting
Though it's you and it's I all the time
It's always just you and me
Every meeting's a marvelous pastime
Every time we meet is wonderful and enjoyable
You're increasingly sweet
You are becoming sweeter with each passing moment
So whenever we happen to meet
Whenever we come across each other
I greet you with a song in my heart
I welcome you with happiness and love
I behold your adorable face
I admire your lovely face
Just a song at the start
At first, it's just a simple tune
But it's soon a hymn to your grace
Soon, it becomes a tribute to your elegance and beauty
When the music swells
When the music gets louder and more intense
I'm touching your hand
I'm holding your hand
It tells that you're standing near, and
It lets me know that you are close by
At the sound of your voice
When I hear you speak
Heaven opens its portals to me
I feel like I am experiencing a piece of heaven
Can I help but rejoice
How can I not be happy and full of joy?
That a song such as ours came to be
I am grateful that our love story exists
But I always knew
I always believed and had faith
I would live life through
I would live my life with
With a song in my heart for you
A deep love and affection in my heart for you
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pepper Williams
Never heard of this guy until I heard him while listening to Sirius FM. Great vocalist singing one of my favorite songs. And then, his guitar playing is superb, although I'm not really liking his tone. But besides that, he did great!! And the pianist played a killer solo as well :)