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Two Generations Of Jazz Guitar Tune Up For Father's Day

Father and son Bucky and John Pizzarelli have been playing guitar together since the latter was a kid.
Steven Freeman
/
Courtesy of the artist
Father and son Bucky and John Pizzarelli have been playing guitar together since the latter was a kid.

It's Father's Day weekend — and instead of another tie, Weekend Edition Saturday is getting a slice of New Jersey Pizzarelli.

That's jazz guitarists Buckyand John Pizzarelli, to be exact. Bucky has played with Benny Goodman, Zoot Sims, Stephane Grappelli and many other musical giants. His son, John, has played with his own share of greats, including another guy from Jersey named Sinatra, and George Shearing. The two have been collaborating since John was a kid, and have even recorded a few duet albums together.

"It's a lot of fun," John says. "I mean, it's much better than if he had been a plumber. This guitar thing worked out really nicely."

Bucky and John Pizzarelli spoke with host Scott Simon and performed live in NPR's studios; click the audio link to hear more.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.