Bucky Pizzarelli

Bucky Pizzarelli
Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Village Jazz Lounge, Walt Disney World
Background information
Birth name	John Paul Pizzarelli
Born	(1926-01-09) January 9, 1926 (age 91) Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, swing, big band
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Guitar
Labels	Arbors, Chesky, Victoria, Savoy, Challenge
Associated acts	John Pizzarelli, Martin Pizzarelli, Jessica Molaskey, Stephane Grappelli, Soprano Summit
Notable instruments
Benedetto guitar

John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli (born January 9, 1926) is an American jazz guitarist and banjoist, and the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and upright bassist Martin Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli has also worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett (1971) and also ABC with Bobby Rosengarden in (1952). The list of musicians Pizzarelli has collaborated with over his career includes Les Paul, Stéphane Grappelli, and Benny Goodman. Pizzarelli acknowledges Django Reinhardt, Freddie Green, and George Van Eps for their influences on his style and mode of play.

Pizzarelli began his professional career at 17 when he joined the Vaughn Monroe dance band in 1944. Near the end of World War II, while in Austria as an infantryman fulfilling wartime military service for the Army, Pizzarelli was absent from Monroe's band (though he rejoined the outfit in 1946 and played for another five years with them). While in the military, he played in an unauthorized dance band.

In 1952 Pizzarelli became a staff musician for NBC, playing with Skitch Henderson. In 1964, he became a member of the Tonight Show Band on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. During his time spent performing for the Tonight Show, he accompanied guest bands and musicians playing through a variety of musical genres, including playing with Tiny Tim (after tuning the performer's ukulele) on the day that Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki on Carson's show. While not a big fan of rock and roll, he performed seven hits with Dion and the Belmonts.. George Barnes solo on Connie Francis's Lipstick on Your Collar has been described as " the greatest pop rock 'n' roll guitar solo of all time".