Only Joe Lovano could pull something like this off. Only Joe Lovano would even THINK of something like this. A jazz album based on songs made famous by perhaps the greatest tenor of all time? Kinda like, "From one tenor to another." Or something.

Maybe it's because he's a fellow paisano, I don't know, but he has clearly spotted the jazz possilities in this music and brought these Mediterranean classics to life. When you think about it, is it really that different than that erstwhile favorite pass time of jazz practioners--gleaning the best from Tin Pan Alley and calling them "standards"? No, it's not. And the results, in the hands of a master player and arranger like Lovano, are no less satisfying than Coltrane playing, for example, "My Favorite Things."

Two kinds of purists--jazz and classical--may not like it, but most everyone else should dig it.

Perhaps you're like me; when I first saw the title of this CD, I blanched at the possibility it would turn out to be a bland yet money-making crossover 'project' a la the horrible Andrea Bocelli. Fortunately, a single listening proves this is another excellent record of Jazz from Lovano.

Yes, the organizing principal is based on Caruso's musical career, but the style is all Lovano, reminiscent of his great "Rush Hour" CD. Like that one, the arrangements are imaginative and all in the jazz idiom, the harmonies often complex, the sense of freedom consistent. Lovano plays both 'inside' the tunes and 'outside' the changes, never shying away from some tough playing. Much of the record comes off as lytically melancholy, and the sound of the winds and accordion can be both sweet and pained. A terrific CD, especially for Lovano fans.