The people that sat in the rows close to me had no idea who he was,
and I didn't see any of the regulars I usually see at the local jazz
venues.
In spite of this audience not being there to see him per se, he
quickly won the crowd, and was exceptionally entertaining. At the
break, the room was completely abuzz, and there was a long line at the
cd table.
I have most of his discs, so I knew what to expect musically, and he
certainly didn't disappoint. I have had the pleasure of seeing Jim
Hall, Pat Martino, Karrin Allison, Kevin Mahogany and local acts the
past few months. JP has a wow factor that seems to appeal to a wider
audience than the others.
However, I was not prepared for his humor, story telling and ability
to effortlessly work the crowd. This guy is one of the most complete
entertainers I have seen in a while.
He is a most worthy torch bearer for carrying the Great American
Songbook to the next generation while entertaining the older crowd.
His wife, who has a very nice voice, and has 3 jazz cds out sang a few
tunes with them and was very enjoyable.
If you haven't seen JP live, take the opportunity to do so, you won't
be disappointed.
What city are you in where you saw J.P.?
"Derek" <de...@ycoaoffice.com> wrote in message
news:1176055259.1...@b75g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
JP has close ties to a venerable guitar player; his dad Bucky.
While he's not often mentioned here on RMMGJ, there is no doubting his
formidable talent.
JP played several times at the Jazz fest for the city I'm in. I've
seen him cook with some heavy-weight "names" in Jazz during the
festival's all-star jam finale. JP can hang with any of 'em - chops!
GW