Lou Rawls Pays Tribute to Frank Sinatra on ``Rawls Sings Sinatra''; New Recording on Savoy Jazz in Stores Sept. 9

Business Wire, July 24, 2003

Entertainment Editors

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2003

Frank Sinatra once said that Lou Rawls has "the classiest singing and the silkiest chops in the singing game -- watch out for Lou Rawls, he's going places."

Newly signed to legendary jazz label Savoy Jazz, Rawls returns with an effortlessly swinging homage to Ol' Blue Eyes -- "Rawls Sings Sinatra." One of the most distinctive and lauded vocal stylists, Rawls has hit the top of the charts in pop, jazz, blues and R&B. One critic called the voice of Lou Rawls "sweet as sugar, soft as velvet, strong as steel, smooth as butter" -- perfect for a project celebrating Sinatra. "Rawls Sings Sinatra" is in stores nationwide on Sept. 9

The complete song list is as follows: "Come Fly With Me," "Nice 'N' Easy," "All The Way," "Learnin' The Blues," "That's Life," "The Lady Is A Tramp," "Summer Wind," "The Second Time Around," "My Kind Of Town/Chicago," "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)."

Says Rawls, "I treasure the fact that not only did I get to meet him, I got to know him and we got along great together. It's an honor and a privilege for me to get into Ol' Blue Eyes' catalog."

Says Steve Vining, President of Savoy Jazz, "Tackling the songs of Frank Sinatra isn't something just any singer can do -- we knew Lou had the chops to pull this off, and from the first note of the first session we all knew this would be a very special project."

Buoyed by the exuberant big band arrangements by Benny Golson and the production talents of Billy Vera (their first collaboration, "At Last," was nominated for a Grammy), Rawls adds his own special groove to 12 of Sinatra's best moments.

Lou has done it all in a career that spans over 40 years, 70-plus albums and countless awards including three Grammy Awards (and 13 nominations). In addition, Rawls celebrates 25 years as the founder of the United Negro College Fund's "Evening Under The Stars" fundraising event, where he's raised over $250 million.