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OTTAWA - It was, for the most part, a relatively gentle start to the Ottawa Jazz Festival.
A modest crowd of 4,100 turned out to Confederation Park yesterday on the first night of the 10-day concert series to catch John Pizzarelli and Montreal's Nat Raider Orchestra.
They relaxed to the sound of great old standards from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ira and George Gershwin, intermingled with witty repartee from the New Jersey-born singer and guitarist, nattily attired in a cream suit and bright, striped tie.
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Pizzarelli asked as the setting sun beamed bright streaks of light through the clouds. "Couldn't ask for better weather, couldn't ask for better musicians."
For most of last night's two-hour performance, Pizzarelli drew from his new album, an homage to Old Blue Eyes himself called Dear Mr. Sinatra.
He opened the show with a peppy version of The Way You Look Tonight and made reference to his famous father Bucky in telling the story behind the lazy, affectionate tune It's Sunday, because the lone guitarist Sinatra uncharacteristically recorded it with was his dad's best friend.
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Sinatra tales peppered the performance, particularly on the introduction to Witchcraft, also included on the new CD. Pizzarelli, who toured with the late Sinatra in 1993, said the singer grew frustrated when its composer, Broadway's Cy Coleman, kept trying to show him new material in the middle of a large pile. "What's the one on the top, Cy?" mimicked Pizzarelli as Sinatra, slightly ominously.
He also apologized for his lack of French, proceeding to crack up the crowd with a series of silly, grade-school exercises.
Pizzarelli was entertaining and mellow and the epitome of the relaxed jazzman, bantering with the band and at one point leading them in an unaccompanied rendition of Happy Birthday to a member of the audience.
His steady voice complemented his strumming fingertips, slowing down for a dainty version of the famous Bossa Nova hit Girl From Ipanema.
The orchestra was lush and full throughout the evening.
The Gershwins' They Can't Take That Away From Me was accented with light, butterfly-esque flute; soaring trumpets boosted the upbeat Ring-A-Ding Ding, and sweet sax sounds broadened a boisterous (I Like New York in June) How About You?
Pizzarelli was solid throughout, all fancy fingers and smooth vocals when he wasn't scatting along with the band behind him.
Pizzarelli's brother Martin -- who rounds out the talented quartet with pianist Larry Fuller and Tony Tedesco on drums -- provided an assured and grounding touch on bass, particularly on the group's favourite tune, You Make Me Feel So Young.