NEW RELEASES / In Brief

** 1/2 John Pizzarelli, “All of Me,” Novus/RCA. Unlike George Benson, Pizzarelli didn’t even wait to establish himself as a guitarist before becoming a singer. His soft, tentative voice is adequate for simple melodies like “ ‘S Wonderful,” but at best he is a minor rival for Harry Connick Jr. and creatively has a long way to go. The accompaniments vary from small groups to strings to big band, with his father, Bucky, playing rhythm and briefly solo guitar.

New albums are rated on a scale of one asterisk (poor) to four (excellent). A rating of five asterisks is reserved for classic reissues or retrospectives.