The George Masso Sextet C’est Magnifique

Sicilian-French tenor Roberto Alagna continues with his bid for superstardom, an effort that has involved performing crossover material in quantities comparable to some of his illustrious tenor ancestors. Among his strong points here, in addition to a really compelling high C that he doesn't just throw around, is that he tends to find really unusual popular material to replace the Neapolitan songs that were musical common coin in Caruso's day, or even the big pop ballads that worked in Domingo's.

At a time when Barry Manilow can top the charts singing pop songs of the 1950s and Rod Stewart can sell millions by massacring the Great American Songbook, it's no wonder that others would try their hand. French film and TV actress Arielle Dombasle, who was actually raised in Mexico, went after South of the Border pre-rock pop standards on her 2004 set Amor Amor (released in the U.S. earlier in 2006); here, she takes on quasi-French material of the 1930s-1950s like Cole Porter's "C'Est Magnifique" and the Doris Day hit "Que Sera Sera."

With 2020’s Sunset in the Blue singer Melody Gardot sinks into a dusky and languorously produced album that builds upon her love of jazz standards, Brazilian music, and intimate balladry. The record finds Gardot surrounded by a production dream team, including longtime associate Larry Klein, who helmed 2009’s My One and Only Thrill and 2015’s Currency of Man, as well as equally acclaimed studio pros, arranger Vince Mendoza and engineer Al Schmitt. Together, they have crafted a showcase for Gardot’s delicately nuanced vocal style. The album is an interesting dichotomy, at once intimate as if Gardot is singing to you in a small club, yet also widescreen, framing her hushed vocals in sweeping orchestrations that reinforce the romantic drama at play in the songs.