Tierney Sutton - Dancing In The Dark (2004) [SACD] PS3 ISO

This isn’t Sutton’s tribute to Sinatra, although all the material here was recorded and made famous

by him. Instead, it’s her working through the nooks and crannies of his songbook, and bringing

things out and putting her own particular polish on them. It could be something with strings, such

as “What’ll I Do?” or the intimacy of “I’ll Be Around,” which is as much a plea as a reassurance

and resignation. Her version of “I Think of You,” whose melody comes originally from Rachmaninov,

is gloriously subtle, the emotion as softly drawn out as the syllables. “I Could Have Told You”

offers comfort and a shoulder to cry on, a gentle embrace that’s almost a whisper in Sutton’s

hands. The music here is at its best when the orchestra keeps away — they simply become overkill,

the too-sweet icing on an already-delicious cake. Perhaps her biggest test, though, comes at the

end of the album, tackling “Fly Me to the Moon,” followed by a medley of “Last Dance” and “Dancing

in the Dark,” taking on some of Sinatra’s most famous pieces. While on the former Sutton doesn’t

always dig to the absolute heart of the song, the arrangement is stunning, with some outstanding

piano from Christian Jacob that frees the songs from its ’50s shackles. Sutton does sparkle on the

other piece, however, especially “Dancing in the Dark,” where the orchestral contributions are kept

to a minimum, and the tracks swings in a minimalist fashion, Sutton’s voice imbued with the magic

of the night. The album might have been inspired by Sinatra, but in her own way, Sutton has gone

beyond her inspiration.