Stories From Main Street: Celebrating The 100th Birthdays Of Three Legends At Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival
MORRISTOWN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - This coming weekend the Morristown Jazz and Blues festival will be celebrating the 100th birthdays of some music legends.
Frank Sinatra, Les Paul and Muddy Waters will all be honored.
Guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli knew Sinatra and Paul.
Pizzarelli recalled his opportunity to play with Sinatra started with a phone call from the man who was playing guitar for Sinatra at the time.
"He says 'Hey, Frank wants you to go to the White House and play for Reagan.' I said 'OK, let's go,'" Pizzarelli told WCBS 880's Sean Adams.
A picture of president Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra and Pizzarelli hangs in Pizzarelli's home.
Guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli Looks Back At Playing With Frank Sinatra
Pizzarelli told Adams the feeling of playing just a few feet away from Sinatra was visceral.
"Boy, you could feel that air coming right at you," Pizzarelli recalled. "The few times I worked with him with a big band it was a big, big thrill. I felt a lot of honesty, the way he sang, and he knew how to do it. When he opened his mouth, he made it work."
Pizzarelli was also good friends with guitar virtuoso Les Paul.
"He was a genius. He did things that nobody expected," Pizzarelli said.
Les Paul revolutionized the solid body guitar and he also pioneered multi-track recording. But he could also be just a regular guy from Bergen County, Adams reported.
"He would stop by the house. And if I played in a place around here, he'd show up there," Pizzarelli said.
Pizzarelli has played with the best, and you might call him a living legend, Adams reported. At 89 years old, his fingers still fly across the frets. He smiles when he plays.
Pizzarelli told Adams the Morristown festival isn't just another gig.
"I don't want to stop playing," he said. "When we play the last number, it's sad. I love playing for a group of people like that."
For more information about the Morristown Jazz and Blues Festival, click here.
