Celebrate the return of live music to campus with world-renowned jazz guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli in an afternoon performance at the Quick Center this Sunday, January 30.
Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts will once more come alive with music and hope for “better days ahead” as John Pizzarelli and his 18-piece big band take to the Kelley Theatre stage at 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 30, 2022.
Hailed by The Toronto Star as “the genial genius of the guitar,” Pizzarelli is a Quick Center favorite who consistently sells out his performances here. Selections from his new album, Better Days Ahead: Solo Guitar Takes on Pat Metheny, guarantee to make this return an event to remember.
A creation of beauty inspired by the tragedy of the pandemic, Better Days Ahead is Pizzarelli’s first solo album in his 40-year career. The musician has described his new album as “at once a tribute, a self-affirmation, therapy, and a memorial.”
When his parents died from Covid-19 early in the pandemic, Pizzarelli retreated to a cabin in upstate New York where he found solace in the music of legendary jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. In Better Days Ahead, Pizzarelli takes a deep dive into Metheny’s Grammy Award-winning catalogue, deconstructing famed arrangements on his seven-string guitar in ways that will thrill not only jazz lovers but also aficionados of classical and Spanish guitar.
“Beautiful things can come out of horrible times,” said Pizzarelli, “and I know that there are better days ahead.”
The Boston Globe had credited John Pizzarelli with “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” His expanded repertoire includes the music of Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, The Beatles, and more. In his career, he has opened for greats such as Dave Brubeck, Ramsey Lewis, and Rosemary Clooney, across clubs and concert halls on the jazz circuit. In 1993, Pizzarelli was honored to open for Frank Sinatra’s international tour.
The Quick Center’s John Pizzarelli Big Band performance at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30 is generously sponsored by Cindy Raney & Co., WSHU Public Radio, and Silverman Group. Tickets are $30, $15 for Quick Members, and $5 for Fairfield University students. For more information or to reserve your seat, visit quickcenter.com or call the box office at 203-254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. Before visiting campus, please review the Quick Center’s Visitor Guidelines webpage for updates to our Covid-19 policies.