Featuring from the '50s and '60s, finds vocalist/pianist further developing his contemporary crooner aesthetic. Having begun his career covering popular songs from the '20s through the '40s, it's surprising that never before explored tunes from the baby boomer era. In some ways, it's almost as if he skipped the period altogether, moving from the '40s to the '70s between 1992's , his last album, and 1994's , his move to and . It was a jarring creative leap that many fans found too far to make with him. It's pleasing then, that has found ways to incorporate his love of the Great American Songbook and straight-ahead in a style that harks back to 's golden era without being retro. showcases this, soaring on 's sophisticated and classy arrangements of such popular tunes as From his cinematic take of replete with pizzicato string backgrounds, to his inspirational -inflected version of 's vision for these classic songs is singular and fresh. ~ Matt Collar