Pleasured Hands

Guitar Jazz from the JACK PEZANELLI

Order your copy.

Available on:

Jack grew up in Worcester, Mass., where two uncles, guitarist and bassist in the Eddie Lang tradition, got the boy up singing pop tunes almost before he could talk. He'd mimic what he heard -- and still does when impersonating former bosses like Sammy Davis,Jr. or Cleo Laine. Jack's first head-turning experience came when he heard a guitarist at that long-gone Worcester dive, the Pecan Lounge, play what he called "Christian music." It dawned on Jack, years later, that what he meant was Charlie Christian's music.

It was Jack's being soulmates with bassist Moore that got this session off the ground. "Mike and I," says Jack with a conspirational grin,"really click. A few times in your career you play with someone whose concept of time and harmonic choice just mesh with your own.We anticipate each other's moods and phrasing hand in glove.Just listen to our out chorus of Born To Be Blue! Michael plays a set-up phrase, I carry it through, and he plays a chiastic tag. It's so cool, and it happens all the time with us! We couldn't write anything better!"

Not the least among the innate joys and strengths apparent in the play of this jamming, extempore foursome are its magnanimity of spirit and big-boned sound. Every tune in the set is a good choice -- the quick-curve Hall, the head-noddin' Shorter, the sensuous Torme, the hang-out blues from the standpoints of dead-on tempo, intrinsic melodic quality, and harmonic intrigue. The point of the session is nothing more noble than pleasuring ears.

Fred Bouchard

Jack PezaneIIi -- guitar
John Arcaro -- piano
Jimmy Madison -- drums
Michael Moore -- bass

Songs

SIMPLE SAMBA                         Hall
FEE-FI-FO-FUM                        Shorter
BORN TO BE BLUE                      Torme
THE NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES        Bernier
IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD                Ellington
BEAUTIFUL LOVE                       Young
SECOND LOOK                          Pezanelli