For this, his 10th CD,
Caldwell strikes poses of
Frank Sinatra in phrasing, repertoire and arrangements. His flexible, enjoyable voice could not be mistaken as similar to anyone but Ol' Blue Eyes, and these twelve selections, plus a bonus pop tune from an earlier recording, echo The Chairman in swing and substance. The bands are made up of West Coast sessionmen, particularly good solos come from tenor saxophonist Ernie Watt, fellow tenor
Pete Christlieb shows up, and the drumming from
John Guerin,
Tony Pia and
Gregg Bissonette is particularly strong. The tunes alternate between big band sounds and string accompaniment.
Caldwell sings well in both contexts, his more up numbers being the title track,
Billy May's arrangement for "Day In, Day Out" with a "rain or shine" quote, the
Nelson Riddle chart of "I've Got The World On A String," and the
Bobby Darin fave "Beyond The Sea." Effective ballads with strings include the most like Frank with swelling orchestration during "Indian Summer," a more individualistic
Caldwell for "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry," the big band/strings combo with Watts tenor for "Old Devil Moon," and the pristine "Ill Wind."
Caldwell wrote the ballad "April Moon," a tale of being jilted and talking to the skies for a solution, and there's the most rambling "I've Got You Under My Skin," Riddle's interpretation, with a tick tock, let's move on urgency.
Caldwell seems to have hit his stride on the CD, perfect for the swing revivalist times, and a well conceived and thought out plan of attack to fill a void left by a departed master of this idiom. ~ Michael G. Nastos