Mallory Richards Published

LISTEN: John Pizzarelli Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

A man sings and plays the guitar next to a man in a hat playing the piano and a man playing the upright bass.
John Pizzarelli performs on Mountain Stage.
Chris Morris/Mountain Stage
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This week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage features long-time friend of the show John Pizzarelli, as well as Maria Muldaur, Jennifer Hartswick Band, Melissa Carper and Gabriel Royal.

Our Song of the Week comes from Pizzarelli, the world-renowned jazz singer and guitarist. “I Want to Be Happy,” originally featured in the 1925 musical No, No, Nanette, appears on his 2023 album Stage & Screen. It’s a collection of classic songs from Broadway and Hollywood spanning nine decades.

Stage & Screen marks 40 years since the release of Pizzarelli’s debut album, I’m Hip (Please Don’t Tell My Father).

Hear the entire set from Pizzarelli, plus live performances by renowned “Midnight at the Oasis” singer Maria Muldaur, trumpeter and vocalist Jennifer Hartswick Band, golden-voiced country singer Melissa Carper, and Brooklyn-based songwriter and cellist Gabriel Royal on this week’s episode of Mountain Stage with host Kathy Mattea.

Tune in to one of these NPR stations starting Friday, July 5 to hear the full episode, and don’t forget to check out the Mountain Stage podcast to listen to new episodes on the go.