By Marilyn Lester***When each artist is a star—a definitive performer, nay, a virtuoso, on their respective instruments—the 
result is a recipe for musical brilliance at the very least. This was the case with 92NY’s Midsummer MusicFest/Jazz in July concluding program, All-Star Jazz Party. This high-energy confluence of talent was a double farewell, to the season, and more so, to the last appearance of Bill Charlap as Artistic Director. After two decades of excellence, he’s handing over the Jazz in July baton to Aaron Diehl.
Joining Charlap was fellow pianist Renee Rosnes (and Charlap spouse); John Pizzarelli, guitar/vocals; Nicole Glover, tenor sax; Steve Wilson, alto sax; Ken Peplowski, clarinet; Jeremy Pelt, trumpet; David Wong, bass; and Dennis Mackrel, drums. Opening solo on a few bars of ‘”S Wonderful” (George Gershwin), Charlap wa
s joined by the other musicians, forming a nonet that swung the rest of the tune with standard jazz form of spotlight moments for each player. Leaving the stage to Rosnes and Charlap, the mood switched to jazz-classical. In 1988, Lyle Mays wrote “Chorino.” A choro, popularly called chorinho, is a 19th century music genre that originated in Rio de Janeiro. Mays’ composition was recorded by the pair in 2010. This beautifully arranged 2023 performance leaned into the jazz end of the choro, with bright, classical undertones.
Double whammy’s also came with Pizzarelli, who not only plays an exquisite guitar but sings with a warm, light baritone. He can also be counted on for respect for the music in that he’ll generally sing the verse to any given tune, the essential musical introduction often lopped off by many singers. With Charlap, Rosnes, Wong, Mackrel and Pelt,
in a slow-tempo rendition of “It Had to Be You,” (Isham Jones) Pizzarelli told the story in Gus Kahn’s verse and choruses. An uptempo, swinging “Three Little Words” (Harry Ruby, Bert Kalmar) followed, with the exit of Rosnes and Pelt and the entrance of Peplowski, who is universally acknowledged as the finest clarinetist on planet Earth. A high point of this rendition was expert scat by Pizzarelli and a superb guitar-clarinet duet.
One of the delights of Charlap at the helm of Jazz in July has been his incisive commentary and back stories of any given tune. He not only reveals himself as a genial and analytical educator of the music, but as a philosopher as well. Introducing “It Had to Be You,” for instance, he declared it one of the greatest love songs of the American Songbook.
Why? Because Kahn’s lyrics include the declaration of “With all your faults, I love you still”—the very definition of unconditional love.
The saxophonists also had features; in a highly evocative “Windmill,” one of the many contrafacts of “Sweet Georgia Brown,” this one by Kenny Dorham, Glover shone in solos and tradeoffs with Pelt. Wilson, with a warm, golden tone, excelled with Rosnes, Wong and Mackrel on “A Time for Love” (Johnny Mandel).
Charlap, who very often works as a trio, played the penultimate number of the evening with Wong and Mackrel: “Some Other Time.” The tune was written for the 1944 Broadway 
musical On the Town, with music by Leonard Bernstein. But it was the lyric by Betty Comden and Adolph Green that inspired Charlap’s choice; it’s a song about the nature of time and begins with: “Twenty four hours can go so fast. You look around, the day has passed.” With twenty years passing in a flash, Charlap’s playing was slow, gentle and contemplative—communicating volumes in its mystical amalgam of notes and chords.
The nonet reformed for the finale, another choice that spoke volumes in the unsung lyric of Duke Ellington’s zippy and upbeat “Love You Madly.” The phrase “love you madly” was an indelible Ellington signature in words and music. What better way to say good night and farewell than with The Maestro, Duke.
Photos by Richard Termine
