Jack Jones - The Gershwin Album

In the '80s, the record business wasn't friendly to classy crooners like Jack Jones, whose recording career entered a slowdown in that era. In 1991, after releasing a few records for indie labels, Jones went to Sony and cut The Gershwin Album—the last major-label release of his career. While he'd flirted with contemporary pop material and production on his previous record, this outing found Jones returning to his strengths, embracing the Gershwin brothers' section of the Great American Songbook. Backed by full, lush orchestrations, Jones works his magic on some of the 20th century's finest songs, as his deep, plush velvet carpet of a voice winds its way through everything from the unabashed romance of "I've Got a Crush on You" to the lonesome plaint "But Not for Me." Jones takes his time with these tunes, and his unhurried phrasing makes each moment count. And while he's probably best known for the smoothness of his lower register, he glides seamlessly through the elegant arc of each melody, maintaining equal poise no matter where each song may lead him.