Pam Munter: A Torch You Can't Lose-My Life as Frank Sinatra

Part of the Frank Sinatra legacy is the number of tribute albums that fellow artists record to keep his memory alive, as well as to cash in on the public's continued admiration of their hero. And there's nothing worng with that. In fact, these tribute albums help in their own way to keep the flame burning. Pam Munter joins the group of performers who have made CDs based on the songs that Sinatra sang. Among those who have already tipped their hats are such diverse stylists as Carol Sloane, The Blue Dahlia and Joe Lovano.

Munter sings in a variety of setting, trio, quartet, with string added and with just a piano joining her. Those with the quartet are the most satisfying. The good players in the group get plenty of opportunity to solo, especially vibes player Mike Horsfall. Munter is lucky to have corralled Donny Osborne to control the rhythm. Osborne was with Mel Torme for years. The small groups handle medium and up tempo numbers which Munter does very well such as "All of Nothing at All" and "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me." Strings are brought in to augment the trio for the slow ballad offerings. Munter offers a good cross section of the many songs Sinatra sang and the settings in which he performed them. For example, with Horsfall's vibes carrying the accompanying load, "At Long Last Love" recalls Sinatra's recording of this tune with Red Norvo.

Munter has an attractive, flexible set of vocal chords which she uses to good effect in an album recalling the abundance and richness Sinatra Songbook. Recommended.