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No two popular singers could sound as different as the mellifluous Frank Sinatra and the gruff-voiced Steve Tyrell, yet the latter has produced as sincere and musically compelling a tribute as the former could have ever hoped for. Concentrating on the Grade A standards that Sinatra triumphed with, Tyrell brings to each his own individual charm and easygoing swing. The result is a thoroughly winning project that presents Tyrell, his subject, and the magnificent songs they share in the best possible light. If Tyrell doesn't have the chops that Ol’ Blue Eyes did, he compensates by bringing a boatload of open-hearted affection to the material.
Combined with superb arrangements from such seasoned pros as Alan Broadbent and Sammy Nestico, as well as original Sinatra charts from Quincy Jones and Sy Oliver, and guest spots by jazz musicians including Roy Hargrove and Clark Terry, Songs of Sinatra finds and maintains its own identity. It’s easily the strongest of Tyrell’s recent standards albums.
-William Pearl
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