Richard Carr, Bucky Pizzarelli & John Pizzarelli Jr. - Afternoon In New York (2026) [Hi-Res]

Afternoon in New York brings together violinist Richard Carr with father-and-son guitarists Bucky and John Pizzarelli Jr. for a session steeped in the language of swing and the Great American Songbook. Originally released in 1984 and long out of print on vinyl, the album is now available for streaming and digital download, giving a new generation of listeners access to this intimate, guitar-and-violin trio session. Recorded at Lobel Studios and engineered by Mike Lobel, the record captures the warmth and immediacy of the trio’s interplay, built around the rich, chordal sound of dual seven-string guitars set against Carr’s lyrical violin work.

The eight-track program draws almost entirely from swing-era and jazz standard repertoire, giving the trio ample harmonic terrain to stretch out on. The set opens with Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” before moving through Jimmy Forrest’s “Night Train,” Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood” and “Satin Doll,” then continues with “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “All The Things You Are,” “I Can’t Get Started,” and closes out on Fats Waller’s “Honeysuckle Rose.” The heavy Ellington presence roots the album firmly in mainstream swing, while the ballads add shade and lyricism to the trio’s more upbeat numbers.

Stylistically, the record sits in the lineage of violin-and-guitar jazz combos in the spirit of Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, with Carr’s fluid, singing violin lines answered by the Pizzarellis’ famously clean, swinging guitar work. It’s a session defined by conversation rather than showmanship — three musicians trading ideas over familiar tunes with obvious chemistry and craft. For listeners drawn to small-group swing, seven-string guitar playing, or violin-led jazz in general, Afternoon in New York is a warm, unhurried record that wears its 1984 vintage lightly, and its return to digital circulation makes it newly accessible for discovery.