Tony Paglia Swizzle: Smooth Tunes On The Rocks CD

Swizzle features 15 vocal pop favorites, performed by Canadian vocalist Tony Paglia. Piano figures heavily into the standard combo instrumentation, although horns also appear quite frequently. Paglia has a pleasant, slightly casual style that's suited well to the loungey feel of this set -- classics like "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You," "All the Way," and "Fly Me to the Moon" go down as smooth as the whiskey on the cover. Swizzle shows some flair for adventure, too, with a flashy double-time arrangement of "Fever" and a big, bold, and swingin' closing version of "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)." The album doesn't have a whole lot of staying power -- Paglia and his pals would certainly be more effective live, and the whiskey would taste better then, too. Still, it's a solid collection of standards with a nice overall feel. ~ Johnny Loftus

Recording information: MetalWorks Studios; Phase One Audio.

Arranger: Kenny Vehkavaara.

Personnel: Richard Evans (piano); Steve Wingfield (tenor saxophone); Kenny Vehkavaara (guitar); Tony Paglia (vocals); Glendon Smith (alto saxophone); Bryden Baird (trumpet); Chase Sanborn (trumpet); Pat Kilbride (bass guitar); The Glendon Smith Quintet (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone).

Audio Mixers: Brad Rogers; Jeff Wolpert.