BUCKY PIZZARELLI Returns to Watchung Jazz Series Famed Jazz Guitarist Teamed with Jerry Bruno on Bass

CONCERT: Friday, Jan 11, 2002 8PM

If you absolutely, positively have to fill every seat in this intimate but acoustically lively room, there is no better bet than to hire Bucky Pizzarelli.  The legendary guitarist is so popular that the usual call-for-reservations rule has to be suspended for his performances.  Too many people are turned away needlessly, because some making reservations either double-reserve or simply do not appear. The solution is to sell tickets in advance and, to encourage early orders, offer a significant discount for advance purchases: $12 per seat, vs. $15 at the door (if any are left).  Consequently, no reservation list will be kept, no tickets will be held without payment, for Bucky’s appearance at the Watchung Arts Center on Friday evening, January 11.  Jerry Bruno will be at his side, string bass in hand, but you’ll get to hear a lot of Bucky. Send your check to the non-profit Watchung Arts Center (18 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ  07069).  Tickets will be returned by mail.  Ask for a map if you’ve never been there during the dozen years of their jazz programs.

Bucky Pizzarelli has drawn some of the largest audiences ever seen at the Watchung Arts Center, and no wonder. The jazz guitarist is a living legend, and his fans never tire of his creativity with seven strings.

The hardest part of running a Bucky Pizzarelli concert is dealing with those who arrive without tickets to find the event totally sold out. The intimate space at the Watchung Arts Center is a wonderful listening room, but there are capacity limits. For his return visit on Friday evening, January 11, The Arts Center has agreed to reward early buyers with a discount: $12 for tickets paid for in advance. 

The $15 door price is not unreasonable either, given the reputation of the headliner. There are two sets, starting at 8pm, with complimentary snacks served at intermission.

Checks should be mailed to the Watchung Arts Center, 18 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ 07069. Tickets will be sent by 
return mail.

On this return visit to the Watchung Arts Center's Jazz Series, Bucky Pizzarelli will be joined by bassist Jerry Bruno. Bruno's upright string bass playing was greatly admired at a previous sellout performance at Watchung, as well at appearances in Morristown and Bridgewater. He's paid his dues as a bassist with Big Bands during the latter part of the swing era.

Bucky's enormous appeal stems from his unusual chording, rapid fingering and imaginative solos built around familiar melodies. His fingerwork seems effortless, never failing to bring an admiring audience to its feet. 

His range of material spans jazz history, from the blues era through swing to contemporary numbers. Few active jazz performers have developed the name recognition and enthusiastic following that Bucky Pizzarelli has. 

The much-recorded master guitarist has dozens of albums to his credit, often sharing the limelight with the top names in jazz. He has toured the world with Benny Goodman, Zoot Sims, Benny Carter and others. Bucky has also brought his seven string magic to Carnegie Hall, Town Hall and even the White House.

The Watchung Arts Center serves all of central New Jersey from its convenient location on the Watchung Circle. It is about a mile from either Interstate 78 (exit 40) or Route 22 (Plainfield overpass). Parking is free adjacent to the building or at nearby municipal lots. Light refreshments are served at intermission, during which the monthly art exhibits may be explored.

CONTACTS:

Watchung Arts Center (1 to 4 PM best) (908) 753-0190
Bruce M. Gast, Jazz Series (908) 755-2483
Bucky Pizzarelli, Guitarist (Bergen County) (201) 327-8710