Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli

John Pizzarelli and his wife Jessica Molaskey, their daughter Madeleine, and John���s sister Anne exchange presents and comments and listen to some of their (and hopefully your) favorite Christmas songs, before going over the river to Bucky & Ruth���s house.

Jessica is making final preparations for ���The Sound of Music Live!��� and Maddie steps up to the plate. Here���s the wind-up and the pitch���

There are movies about the holidays and then there are the movies that we see at holiday time. Good, classic, family films start appearing on television around Thanksgiving weekend. And music plays a prominent role in most of them. Today John talks about ��� and listens to ��� some of his favorite movies.

John thinks of a great songwriter, a gang of great recordings immediately come to mind, he chooses a few, adds some swingin��� conversation, with no real preparation, and it���s done!

Jazz musicians love to play the great American standards, many of which originated in theater and movie productions. So this week, John & Jessica give us some beautiful examples of theater jazz.

When someone says to John, ���Nobody���s making music like that anymore,��� he sets them straight. Many contemporary artists are still performing and recording ���music like that,��� and this week John & Jessica present a few of their favorites.

John plays songs off lists made by experts he trusts (Jonathan Schwartz, Ross Porter, and Bucky Pizzarelli). And while he���s almost on the subject, he also plays some examples of that musical form known as list songs (���You���re the Top,��� ���All of You,��� ���Friendship,��� etc.).

Jessica is at a TV play rehearsal and John is calling all the songs. He sees this as an opportunity to sneak in some of his favorite jazz tracks, including several instrumentals. His tastes are excellent.

Dave Bernhart, son of noted trombonist Milt Bernhart, talks about his late father and some of the landmark recordings he made. John also pays tribute to two music people we recently lost: record promoter Dick LaPalm and singer Frank D���Rone.

The summer touring is over, John & Jessica are back in New York, and they happen to like it!

The pennant races are being decided, new shows are starting their runs on Broadway, and there���s a slight chill in the air at night. Together, they are sure signs of fall, hence the title of this episode, based on a song of the same name by John Pizzarelli.

As the program title indicates, John and Jessica turn the spotlight on some new jazz. But as always, the music in this program is not all jazz and it���s not all new. New releases, old favorites, jazz, pop, showtunes��� It���s another typical day in the deluxe living room.

It���s not officially autumn yet, but it���s officially September. John and Jessica are back in the city ��� summer vacation over ��� and they���re listening to songs that fit their September state of mind.

On the first full weekend of summer, the Pizzarellis find themselves at the Deluxe Cabin. New York schools don���t open until Monday, so there���s time to take a final dip in the lake, a final hike on the trail, and of course play those sentimental songs about summer leaving and autumn coming on.

In the past few weeks, we���ve lost several people related to the music business. Some were quite close to John & Jessica and the Radio Deluxe family. This week our hosts tribute to those lost friends, and also recap one of their most interesting summers ever. And as always, the stories are expressed musically and anecdotally.

Among other things, John & Jessica contemplate musical connections within families. As examples, they play recordings by father-daughter, mother-son, father-son, and husband-wife combinations. Plus they do their usual meaderings, which we always look forward to.

John & Jessica host their summer concert series. It requires a lot of traveling, through both time and distance, but it���s well worth it. Travel with them to catch the best performances, at the best places, at just the right times.

It���s Maddie and Daddy, together again! On a summer���s day, John and Maddie recap the events of the first half of summer, which inevitably leads to music ��� much of it summery.

It���s mid-July, John is all by himself (in fact, he plays a song about that), and he has several double-plays in mind, which he executes with his usual aplomb.

It���s the weekend immeditately following the Fourth of July, so John plans to play several songs about states. Meanwhile, Jessica is in a more romantic mood and has planned to play some songs of romance. The result is a show that John calls ���States of Romance.��� It���s romantic; it���s stately!

You may wonder about this episode���s title and it���s hard to explain, other than to say that that���s the name John gave it. It features new stuff, sprinkled among some old, familiar favorites, with a fascinating commentary throughout.

Great American lyricist Sammy Cahn was born June 18, 1913. John & Jessica celebrate his 100th anniversary with some songs and stories of Sammy, along with a few other things that come to mind.

It has become a Father���s Day tradition for John to pay homage to his father Bucky by replaying segments of Bucky on the program.

John & Jess are playing records in the deluxe living room, as they often do. There are new recordings, a new release recorded in 1962, and classics from Blossom, Billie, Dinah, Hoagy, Lester, and the two Louises (Armstrong and Prima). One by the latter inspires this week���s theme.

On Radio Deluxe, one record often leads to another one that���s similar. It may feature the same song or the same artist or even the same theme. Usually these doublets aren���t planned, but today John & Jessica purposely play some of their favorite ���double play-play-plays.���

It happened last week: John & Jessica and Barbara Cook performed for the U.S. Supreme Court justices. And the audience loved it (although they often can be quite judgemental). It all made for some good stories, which are shared with you in this episode of Radio Deluxe.

It���s a pleasant day in May (as most of them are) and John & Jessica are once again in the deluxe living room, with the sun streaming through the windows, listening to music as beautiful as the weather.

Jazz musicians like Beatles songs and, as it turns out, Paul McCartney liked John���s Beatles album. This week���s program features John and Paul (that���s Pizzarelli and McCartney), along with George, Wes, Larry, Rene and many other artists that you���ll enjoy.

Featured this week are a trio of double play-play-plays. John and Jessica play two songs by the very hip Jackie and Roy, two songs from ���The Intimate Ella,��� and two songs written by Richard Maltby and David Shire. And in between, Jessica talks about three shows she saw during the past week. It���s all here on Radio Deluxe!

John & Jessica are going through their things and getting rid of stuff, all the while getting sidetracked by favorite CDs that they come across.

John & Jessica have recently been working with, and inspired by musicians who are in their 80���s. Annie Ross, Dave Frishberg, and Bucky Pizzarelli are still making beautiful music. And we get to sample some of it today, along with some other favorite songs, including the new, the obscure, and a few about baseball.

April 6th is John���s birthday; and this year he spends his 53rd birthday swapping songs and stories with Jessica. He wouldn���t have it any other way.

John & Jessica announced that they are playing songs that are both instrumental and metal, and sentimental, incidental; and they may even serve up some lentils. They can fit pretty much any song into this category.

Every year John & Jessica get excited about the arrival of spring, as so many songwriters have for a very long time. Our hosts��� fondness for the season is expressed in the songs they have chosen for this year���s first show of spring.

The spirit of Jonathan Schwartz still lingered in the deluxe living room as John & Jessica sat down and drew upon their musical knowledge to create another perfect playlist.

Well-known New York radio personality Jonathan Schwartz visits the deluxe living room, and the stories flow freely.

John entertains us with an assortment of his favorite records, one of which is Benny Goodman���s ���Slipped Disc.��� It���s a rather circuitous route to get there, but John narrates all along the way and back again.

Movies and movie music is the subject of this program for Academy Awards time.

The streets of New York were covered with snow, schools had been cancelled; it was the perfect time for the family to share favorite music with each other and us.

It���s Grammy Awards time and John & Jessica review the five nominees in their favorite category: Best Jazz Vocal Album. They���re all winners!

Can you name that tune, based solely on the verse? John & Jessica play songs with the verses attached. And they tip their collective hat to the city of chicago and our newest affiliate there: WDCB 90.9.

John travels through space and time today, without ever leaving his mind, as he presents to us some of the best concert performances ever caught on record.

John and Jessica begin the program by playing some of their favorite songs by Johnny Mercer. And that leads to other favorites, by other songwriters and other performers. Ellington, Lunceford, and others end up sharing the spotlight, and it all sounds good.

John celebrates January 9th, the birthday of Jessica Molaskey and Bucky Pizzarelli and the wedding anniversary of Bucky & Ruth Pizzarelli. And he does it sans the birthday girl. He does have his trusty guitar with him, however, which he puts to good use, accompanying himself of several deluxe solos.

John & Jessica spent a snowy New Year���s Eve at the deluxe cabin in front of the fireplace, with food, beverage, and their favorite music (both live and recorded). It was the perfect start to 2013.

The tree is decorated, the lights are twinkling, and the record player is spinning. It���s another Christmas in the deluxe apartment and, as usual, John & Jessica���s favorites music (holiday and other) is a big part of it.

When Jessica���s away, John and Madeleine secretly put up the Christmas Tree while recording a renegade tree-trimming episode of Radio Deluxe. Won���t Jess be surprised?

Deep in December it���s nice to remember favorite songs and stories, which is what John & Jessica do so well always. While the Christmas decorations aren���t yet up in the deluxe living room, just a bit of holiday music is sprinkled over this week���s playlist.

Another successful family feast is over and John & Jessica are enjoying the long weekend together. Their music consists of a few leftovers, as well as a few new treats.

First came Hurricane Sandy, and then a major snow storm. For a while, the storm that was the presidential election was overshadowed by the weather. In the midst of it all, John & Jessica were scheduled to open their run at the Caf�� Carlyle and then make a sidetrip to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and back in one day. They somehow managed, and they tell us the stories, accompanied by just the right music (as you would expect).