But Beautiful

1	What's New? 4:30
2	Never Let Me Go 5:06
3	How Long Has This Been Going On? 6:07
4	Sophisticated Lady 5:14
5	But Beautiful 5:36
6	Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered 3:29
7	Easy Living 4:13
8	I Should Care 5:25
9	You Don't Know What Love Is 5:46
10	For All We Know 5:30

Barnes & Noble

Decades ago, Boz Scaggs broke out of his role as second banana in the Steve Miller Band to take the lead as an enduring blue-eyed soul singer. Several of his recordings -- the recent Dig and 1999’s Fade into Light are two that come to mind -- have reflected a late-night blue image. The vocal persona has often been supported by Scaggs’ use of players from the jazz milieu, but the singer never recorded a complete set of jazz standards until But Beautiful. It’s an intimate recording of classics, and Scaggs is so comfortable in this skin, one wonders what took him so long to arrive at this romantic moment. There is no effort to pull scatting punches or to emulate a bop singer. Scaggs simply sings, the weariness of years on the job infusing “I Should Care,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” and “What’s New” with a slightly tarnished patina. The jazz ambiance is created by pianist Scott Nagel and his trio plus saxophonist Eric Crystal. Both Nagel and Crystal tune right in to the vocalist on the Latin-style version of “Never Let Me Go,” enhancing the song’s tenderness. The title cut throbs with excitement beneath Scaggs’ gentle voice, while “For All We Know” recalls Nat King Cole’s contemplative version. The sense of swing in “Easy Living” is so understated that one hardly notices how well Scaggs handles this material. The rock ‘n’ roll boomers who have kept Scaggs’ career alive all these years might wish for more drama, but the jazz fan will thrill at finding another fine male interpreter of standards. Roberta Penn

All Music Guide

Apparently, old rock singers who have exhausted their commercial appeal and have sung all the pop and soul standards have but one place to turn -- the American popular songbook. Linda Ronstadt pioneered this move in the '80s, Rod Stewart picked it up at the turn of the century, and, now no longer at Virgin, Boz Scaggs picks up the torch with 2003's But Beautiful, a ten-track trawl through standards like "What's New?," "How Long Has This Been Going On?," and "Sophisticated Lady." It should be no surprise that Scaggs is not deliberately following Stewart's footsteps -- in his liner notes, he says his old friend Jimmy Pierre initiated the project years ago with a list of songs he thought Boz should sing, and then pianist/arranger Paul Nagel later encouraged him to begin this project -- but it can't help but feel that way, given the number of old rockers turning to the music their parents loved. Scaggs, thankfully, doesn't take the lush, orchestrated route, choosing to record with a small quartet featuring Nagel, saxophonist Eric Crystal, bassist John Shifflett, and drummer Jason Lewis. They have a nice, late-night feel -- nothing adventurous, but well-done -- and Scaggs is appropriately laid-back, which doesn't necessarily mean that he's well-suited for this material. His off-hand phrasing sometimes is too casual and he delivers the tunes predictably, never finding a way to make these much-heard songs sound fresh. That doesn't mean this sounds bad, because it doesn't; it's an entirely pleasant listen. But even longtime Boz Scaggs fans may not find a reason to spin this more than once. Stephen Thomas Erlewine