Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli | April 3, 2015 - Anchorage

[Ron Thorne]

Tonight, we're headed to the Atwood Concert Hall to hear this duo. It should be interesting. Details later.




Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli


The Ultimate Nat King Cole Tribute

Take a step back in time and enjoy the hits of the 40s and 50s. Highly accomplished artists in their own right, Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli capture the iconic sounds of Nat King Cole. Lewis is a three-time Grammy award-winning pianist while Pizzarelli is a world-renowned jazz guitarist and singer. Enjoy Cole favorites including "Route 66", "Mona Lisa" and "Unforgettable."

Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli is presented by Anchorage Concert Association.

[Ron Thorne]

What a joyous evening of music and stories, played, sung and spoken ... all an homage to Nat King Cole. From my perspective, it was almost a John Pizzarelli concert, supported by Ramsey Lewis and the rest of the rhythm section. Pizzarelli is clearly well-versed and nearly reverent when he speaks of Cole, yet never came even close to imitation in his vocal approach and styling. Bassist Joshua Ramos and drummer Charles Heath were exemplary in their roles, with Ramos getting considerable solo spotlight time. Both were incredibly tasteful and supportive.

As a drummer myself, I couldn't help but notice that Charles Heath is left-handed, yet was playing a drum set which was set up as we right-handed players do, complete with the hi-hat on his left side. They finally opened the door for Charles to solo near the ¾ mark on Straighten Up & Fly Right, with Ramsey, John and Joshua leaving the stage for about 7-8 mins. while Charles explored some complex polyrhythms on his snare drum, cymbals and toms ... crisp, clean, well-articulated statements with wide ranging dynamics and not a trace of self-importance. I don't often like drum solos, but this one got my attention and respect.

Great song selection, superb arrangements and impeccable treatment of this iconic material provided a solid, elegant, 90 min. non-stop musical journey which my wife & I can recommend without hesitation.