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Jazz Superstar John Pizzarelli to Perform on Jazz Room Series at William Paterson University on Saturday, March 1

John Pizzarelli, the world-renowned jazz guitarist and singer, will bring his swinging guitar and vocal styles to William Paterson University in Wayne on Saturday, March 1, 2014 when he performs as part of the University’s spring 2014 Jazz Room Series. The concert begins at 8 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus.

Prior to the concert, Pizzarelli will be the guest for “Sittin’ In,” an informal discussion about jazz, at 7 p.m. in Shea Center 101. Admission is free to all Jazz Room ticket holders. Tickets are available in advance at the Shea Center Box Office at 973.720.2371 or wp-presents.org for $42 orchestra and $35 loge.

Pizzarelli began playing the guitar at age six, following in the footsteps of his father, the legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, a former William Paterson jazz faculty member. A true crossover star, he has collaborated with his father, as well as James Taylor, Rosemary Clooney, George Shearing, the Boston Symphony, and his wife, the vocalist and Broadway star Jessica Molaskey. Pizzarelli has recorded nearly 40 albums, including two devoted to music made famous by Nat King Cole. He appears on Sir Paul McCartney’s 2012 album Kisses on the Bottom and performed with McCartney at the Grammy Awards that same year.

His latest release, Double Exposure, is a collection of tunes by some of the great pop songwriters of his own generation that are framed squarely within traditional jazz arrangements. He has also launched Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli, a nationally syndicated radio program, co-hosted with his wife. Perhaps nowhere has his voice been heard more widely than on the Foxwoods Casino “Wonder of It All” media campaign.

Launched in 1978, the Jazz Room is one of the largest and most prestigious college-sponsored jazz events in the country. Performers include renowned professionals who encompass the complete spectrum of jazz, as well as William Paterson’s own student ensembles. The series has won numerous grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for its innovative programming.