Comme d'habitude

Putting together an album honoring Frank Sinatra is neither a new nor unique idea. There have been many to hit the record racks since the master of the American popular song passed on. These albums not only honor Sinatra as a performer, but are a tribute to his impeccable taste in selecting the material he deigned to sing. These are songs other musicians like to play. Certainly pianist Stan Tracey and tenor saxman Bobby Wellins had no intention of copying Sinatra's way of doing these tunes. Their approach is a much more modern, improvisational one. "The Lady Is a Tramp" gets a seven-minute workover with Wellins' sax allowing plenty of space between the chords. The tempo is nowhere near the fiery pace Sinatra often sang this song at. It is laid-back, much like a ballad with a beat. Tracey's piano evokes overtones of Thelonious Monk, plugging away at jagged phrases with some blues thrown in. A Sinatra favorite, "Nice and Easy," is done at a very slow, almost dirge-like tempo by the quartet and they clearly savor every phrase, every chord, and every quarter note of this tune. One of the few fast-paced tunes is "I Get a Kick out of You," where for more than seven minutes Wellins, with his relaxed, slightly astringent tenor, and Tracey's sometimes-nervous piano again milk this tune for all the improvisational opportunities it offers. Sinatra fans may not like this album given what the protagonists do to the tunes they loved to hear Sinatra sing. Yet, lovers of modern mainstream jazz should welcome these tracks with open ears. The two major characters are ably supported by Stan Tracey's son on drums, who also did the arrangements, and by bassist Andrew Cleyndert. Recommended.