Prior to the concert, PJ Rasmussen interviews Bucky Pizzarelli . Paul Goldfinger photos. June 26, 2014 Click images to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor Blogfinger.net
Thursday June 26, 2014 at the Langosta Lounge, on the boardwalk, in Asbury Park:
PJ Rasmussen, a 23 year old jazz guitarist, grew up in Ocean Grove and went to St. Rose High School where he took up guitar at age 14. He wanted to play rock, but his teacher, Andrew Light, got him hooked on jazz. PJ went on to William Patterson University where he met the legendary jazz guitarist (from New Jersey) now 88 year old, Bucky Pizzarelli. The two became friends, and that story winds up at the Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park tonight where P.J. and Bucky played together at the summer-long Boardwalk Jazz Thursday night series at the Langosta venue which PJ has organized. (http://boardwalk-jazz.com )
Busy night; happy Thursday crowd at the Langosta Lounge for Jazz Night. ©
I have been a huge fan of Bucky Pizzarelli and his musical family which includes John Pizzarelli, Martin Pizzarelli, and Jessica Molaskey. They often perform together, but last night Bucky was playing with three guys in their twenties, and he appeared to be having a great time. Bucky is a giant of the jazz world and he has performed with Benny Goodman, Les Paul, The Tonight Show Band, and many others.
Classic jazz fills the room. PJ Rasmussen quartet (for the night). ©
PJ Rasmussen alternated lead guitar with Bucky and they played solos and duets. The rhythm section included a fine 27 year old bass player from South Korea named Daseul Kim and a skilled and innovative drummer, Joseph Spinelli, who rocked the room during the quartet’s version of Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing.”
Daseul Kim, bassist. Age 27. Paul Goldfinger photo ©
Some people say that jazz will die as the old timers leave the scene. But if you have ever listened to Wynton Marsalis discuss this issue or seen the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra, you will find many bright young faces.
PJ agrees that a whole new generation of jazz players are emerging now, including himself. PJ says that jazz is “music that anyone of any age can love.” He tries to teach his audiences to enjoy jazz—-“If they listen, they will get it.” He also loves other musical forms including rock and he likes to experiment with various sorts of fusion music such as hip-hop and jazz.
For the Thursday night 3 hour concert, PJ and Bucky pretty much stuck to jazz standards such as Tangerine, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me, Ellington’s In a Mellow Tone, and There Will Never Be Another You. PJ performed a lovely solo rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
PJ has made two CD’s, all with his original compositions. He says that “there is a lot of young talent out there,” and, although he is interested in modernizing and fusing jazz to capture the interest of young adults today, he has great respect for traditional jazz. He loves much of the “American songbook” which features music from the 1920’s, ’30’s, ’40’s and beyond . The bassist Daseul Kim agreed about the passion for vintage jazz that young musicians like him continue to play.
For 17 weeks, Rasmussen will bring a wide variety of jazz performers to the Langosta Lounge including a big band on September 11. Each Thursday the concerts go from 7:00 pm-10:00 pm. They do two sets with a 30 minute intermission, and there is no cover charge or minimum. You can just sit at the bar, or have snacks or dinner. We enjoyed a fine meal with Asian accents.
My only complaints were that it was extremely noisy by the bar where we were sitting, and our chairs, placed at a high table, had no backs. If you go, make a reservation for dinner and sit at a table near the bandstand.
The service at Langosta Lounge was friendly, although the wait staff needed some more people.
PJ RASMUSSEN AND DASEUL KIM. “Love Letter (Goodnight)” from Kim’s album Relationship. This piece is mesmerizing and beautiful. PJ’s albums include Another Adventure and Adventures in Flight which are more avant garde than the material with Bucky Pizzarelli
BUCKY PIZZARELLI AND FRIENDS “Every-time We Say Goodbye” by Cole Porter. Bucky is part of an amazing ensemble on this album including Jay Leonhart on bass. This is such an emotional song, even without lyrics.
And here is a brief BUCKY PIZZARELLI SOLO with “Last Night When we Were Young.”
VIDEO LINK