Mr. Too-Nice-To-Jazz

Like other Sinatra impersonators, Tony DeSare has a very charming voice, a bit too charming to jazz. Unlike Franky, Tony lacks that playboy style. His gentleness doesn’t quite sit well with Nat King Cole’s “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?” He doesn’t have that player charisma in his delivery. If you listen to Louis Armstrong rendition, you know Pops got that pimp juice in him. (Fur coat, diamond ring, and a Cadillac, I got you that shit, ain’t I good to ya?) As a result, DeSare’s latest album, Last First Kiss, feels like a romantic but unenergetic and unenthusiastic experience. After the short-lived swing (thanks to the instrumentation) on “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home to,” the album drifted into that cocktail vibe, so go ahead and break out your wine and cheese again on this one.