Remembering Bucky Pizzarelli

We at the Burns­­ mourn the passing of a special member of the JBFC family, legendary jazz and pop guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. A pillar of the American music scene, Pizzarelli performed for presidents and played alongside greats from Frank Sinatra to Paul McCartney in his astounding 75-year career. Pizzarelli meant a great deal to our organization, and his loss is a profound one.

JBFC Founder Steve Apkon shared these words: “I can easily say that there is no single family that has brought more pure joy to the Jacob Burns Film Center community over the years than the Pizzarellis.  From the countless nights at the Theater and recording sessions with the great Annie Ross to Bucky opening his home and heart to our young film students, who got to tell a little bit of his story—John and Bucky have lit up our stage, the Media Arts Lab, and our students’ hearts!  For me, the story goes back more than three decades.

Every once in a while, a friend gives you the gift of another friend.  For me that friend was Joe Cosgriff, who himself has been at the heart of the JBFC since even before it began.  You see, Joe introduced me to two other Boston Red-Sox-loving guys in John Pizzarelli and his dad Bucky.  In fact, Joe and I share another thing in common, which is a painting of the Green Monster in Fenway Park painted by Bucky himself!  When I met Bucky more than 30 years ago, he was playing a regular gig with Jay Leonhart and John Bunch—the New York Trio. What a treat it was to hear the three of them play!

When Bucky agreed to let our high school “Unscripted” students make a film about him, I had the great pleasure of taking them to Iridium, where Bucky played in Les Paul’s seat a few days after Les passed away.  And when we showed up to the Pizzarelli house for an early morning shoot, Bucky was sitting in the den, already two hours into practice, playing everything he had played the night before, with a grin that wouldn’t stop. He took the kids down to his garage to show them all of his paintings—something he did on the side, and was particularly proud of the one with the horse who would jump from the high dive into a pool below for amusement. Bucky got a chuckle out of that one.

I’ve also had the great fortune, as have so many of us at the JBFC, to see John and Bucky playing together many times. For me, hearing their call and response, their gentle egging each other on over their 7-string guitars was only overshadowed by the way they looked at each other while playing. It always seemed to be somewhere between “can you believe we’re doing this together!’ to “they think they’re having fun…”  John would tell Bucky stories and Bucky would just laugh to himself. I think he knew that the story was even better than John was letting on. In their decades of playing together, I have to say I don’t remember Bucky saying much—if anything—from the stage. John had the microphone and knows how to entertain. What I came to understand was that Bucky didn’t need a microphone. He had his eyes, and whether glancing at his son while playing or laughing with those eyes at one of the many “Bucky stories” John would tell, Bucky said all that needed to be said. He knew how lucky he was to have the life he had, to be on stage with his sons, and to have music in his blood. In his music and his life, Bucky taught us how to seize the moment, realize how truly lucky we are, and to live with joy. We’ll miss you Bucky. Thank you so much for the memories, the music, and the love!!”

All photos included in the gallery below were taken by Lynda Shenkman.

 

 Back in 2016, Bucky Pizzarelli treated audiences at the Jacob Burns Film Center to a surprise performance.
 

 

This short documentary about Bucky, The Seventh String, was produced by high school students at the JBFC.

The Jacob Burns Film Center is proud to receive generous support from:

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