You have to give it up for Rod Stewart -- he isn't afraid to share the spotlight. On the fourth volume of his hugely, if surprisingly, popular Great American Songbook series, the late-blooming crooner surrounds himself with other vocal icons, including Diana Ross, Elton John, and Chaka Khan, as well as a few instrumental stars (saxophonist Dave Koz and trumpeters Chris...
Read moreYou have to give it up for Rod Stewart -- he isn't afraid to share the spotlight. On the fourth volume of his hugely, if surprisingly, popular Great American Songbook series, the late-blooming crooner surrounds himself with other vocal icons, including Diana Ross, Elton John, and Chaka Khan, as well as a few instrumental stars (saxophonist Dave Koz and trumpeters Chris Botti and Roy Hargrove). Again, Stewart sets his sights on the cream of the cream: aged-in-oak songs like "Blue Skies," "My One and Only Love," and "Thanks for the Memory" are practically insured: Treat them right and they'll come through for you in Technicolor glory. Stewart also throws in the R&B classic "You Send Me" as a tribute to his idol Sam Cooke, and to give him a chance to mix it up with the mighty Khan. Rod also gets to ham around with Elton John on "Makin' Whoopee" (!) and coo with Ross on "I've Got a Crush on You." As on the previous volumes, old songs are buffed up and packed with a present-day charge that suits Rod and his pals to a tee. Produced by retro singer Steve Tyrell and star-maker Clive Davis, Thanks for the Memory holds its own with its worthy predecessors.
Brand: J-RECORDS
