Dear Mr. Bennett feels like a warm, swinging thank-you note, written in Pizzarelli’s own handwriting, signed with a smile, and sent with genuine affection.
Green Hill Productions
John Pizzarelli – Vocals, guitar; Mike Karn – bass; Isaiah J. Thompson – piano
Dear Mr. Bennett works because John Pizzarelli never tries to turn it into an impersonation. His singing here has more in common with Bob Dorough than Tony Bennett. Both favor a laidback, conversational style, staying mostly in the middle of the voice and avoiding big, declarative moments. They phrase loosely letting timing and inflection carry the swing. The charm is in how casually the lines land.
“Watch What Happens” makes that clear right away. Mike Karn’s walking bass is right out front, steady and confident. Pizzarelli eases into the vocal, then answers himself on guitar, picking out single notes and letting them hang just long enough to register. Isaiah J. Thompson’s piano solo moves fast across the keyboard, the phrases nearly tumbling over one another. When Pizzarelli returns to the lyric, he sounds unhurried by comparison, like he’s letting the tune settle back into place.
“It Amazes Me” is one of the clearest snapshots of Pizzarelli’s approach. He stays behind the beat throughout, giving the lyric time to land before moving on. The guitar solo keeps things light and melodic, using small accents up high to add just enough decoration without crowding the line.
Thompson starts high on the piano, tinkling those pearlescent notes across the upper keys. Pizzarelli follows with a guitar line that plays with the beat, pushing and pulling as the vocal slides in — cool, almost half-sung, half-spoken. Karn’s bass wraps around the melody, weaving through piano and guitar. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” has Pizzarelli’s guitar stretching out, keeping that elastic touch while Thompson’s piano dances above him, bright and shimmering.
A few of the shorter tracks work beautifully as a group, showing different sides of the trio. “Because of You” leans into romance through its slow tempo, warm harmony, and lyrics built on longing, with Karn’s bass moving in steady, lyrical lines and Thompson’s piano gently ringing in the upper register. “When in Rome” is light and hip, opening straight into the vocal, with Pizzarelli scatting along with his guitar before slipping easily back into the lyric. And “San Francisco” avoids the obvious temptation to chase Bennett’s emotional sweep. Pizzarelli phrases it his way, stretching and shaping the melody until the song feels fully his.
When the trio kicks into high gear on “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” they make every note count. Karn’s fast walking bass drives the tune from the first beat, while Pizzarelli sings faster than anywhere else on the album, pushing the phrases along without getting louder. His guitar fires back in quick, punchy lines, strummed and picked with playful energy. Thompson’s piano answers with rapid, almost stride-like phrases, bouncing off the bass and guitar. The song has been played countless times, but here it’s fresh, witty, and fun.
The mood turns inward on “Waltz for Debby.” Pizzarelli slows everything down and sings it straight, with no wink or irony. He takes his time with the lyric, and the guitar solo that follows is spare and thoughtful, more concerned with atmosphere than display.
Dear Mr. Bennett feels like a warm, swinging thank-you note, written in Pizzarelli’s own handwriting, signed with a smile, and sent with genuine affection.
