Somewhere in Windermere, Florida lives a beautiful baby girl with two incredible, loving parents and two older brothers. The 14 month old with big sparkling eyes and a sweet smile’s name is Stella. Her name means “Star” in Latin, and she is the daughter of no other than monster guitarist and Grammy Award winning multi-talented musician, Mark Tremonti, and his wife Victoria. This bright little sweetheart was also born with Down Syndrome.
Tremonti states in an interview with Guitar World, “When we found out about our daughter Stella’s Down Syndrome diagnosis, the stars aligned. My obsession with sinatra had its reason. Frank Sinatra raised more than a billion dollars for charity and that is a fact I wish the public knew more about. Beneath his cool and calm persona, he had a big heart.”
And thus a concept for a covers album to benefit Down Syndrome was born.
Mark Tremonti got his start in the band Creed, and has most notably continued his tour de force of talent in his work with Alter Bridge and his solo project, Tremonti. He was a founding member of Creed, along with Scott Stapp in 1994, and won a Grammy for Best Rock Song for “With Arms Wide Open” in 2001.
In January, 2004, Tremonti formed Alter Bridge with Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips. They asked Myles Kennedy to join and a legendary band of depth, feeling and record-crashing guitar solos and riffs was born.
But Tremontiwasn’t done there, with solo projects and the forming of his metal band Tremonti coming in later years. Now Tremonti is shaking up the music world by showing his vocal versatility on the album Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra.
Tremonti, who has long been an obsessive Sinatra fan, immersed himself in the project, collaborating with those still living who worked with Sinatra.
What’s remarkable about Tremonti’s range as an artist is that he fully embodies Sinatra in these covers, sounding remarkably like the ol’ crooner himself, yet Mark still distinguishes his own. If you listen to “Not Afraid To Lose” off the Tremonti album released last year, Marching In Time, you can hear that clear, soft tone of Mark’s, and how it carries over into his work on Sinatra.
While Tremonti honors the classic styling and sound of Sinatra, he also holds true to his own unique timbre instead of copy-catting Sinatra outright and unoriginally. It is a very fine edge to walk vocally, and Markmakes it seem effortless despite endless practice. If you’ve been a long time fan of Tremonti, there is something notably, well, “Tremonti-like” about his vocals. From “Words Darker Than Their Wings” with Alter Bridge to “A World Away” or “Dust” with Tremonti, (and all the way into the reaches of an entire other genre with Sinatra), Mark can hold his own.
The first single from the album to drop was “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” in March. In the video, Tremonti is ever the eloquent gentleman in a suit and tie, crooning easily into an old fashioned mic as the orchestra flows with its spectacular instrumental accompaniment.
A slurry of interviews and well deserved notoriety ensued, and Tremonti has been busy spreading the word of his newly established project, “Take a Chance For Charity”, which gives artists and athletes the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone for a good cause. 100% of the proceeds from Mark Tremonti Sings Sinatra goes to the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS).
Following the release of the single “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” came “Fly Me To The Moon” and “I Fall In Love Too Easily”. A fan favorite classic mega-hit, “Fly Me To The Moon” is done with a familiar fun flare; Mark looking slightly more relaxed out of a suit and tie. “I Fall In Love Too Easily” brings back the suit and tie with a swoon and a croon that’ll have your toes tapping to waves of nostalgia. The music videos are (as heard by one of the orchestra members at the end of “Fly Me To The Moon”), “popping.”
With a tracking list of:
1. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
2. I’ve Got the World on a String
3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
4. Wave
5. Fly Me to the Moon
6. Nancy (With the Laughing Face)
7. My Way
8. You Make Me Feel So Young
9. Luck Be a Lady
10. That’s Life
11. Come Fly With Me
12. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
13. The Song Is You
14. All or Nothing at All
The music released thus far has been received among Tremonti’s metal and rock fanbase with shock and overwhelming approval and support. A few naysayers lack the vision to appreciate the change up for the best metal guitarist in the world, but most applaud the radical transformation.
I can’t pick a favorite off this album, but “Luck Be A Lady” and “I’ve Got The World On A String”, were exceptionally enjoyable tracks. One can only hope Tremonti might consider taking on Sinatra’s classic role in Guys and Dolls on a Broadway run someday, for he would fit seamlessly.
And the orchestra? Well what else is there to say about this extraordinary group of musicians except “Bravo!”
This album was overwhelmingly joyful to listen to. Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra dropped on May 27th. I would be highly disappointed if the Grammy’s didn’t come calling on this album, and I don’t throw that thought out there easily in my reviews. Old Blue Eyes would be absolutely proud.
I’m Music Magazine Writer Breezy Blake
Grab your copy here – https://linktr.ee/marktremonti
Editor’s Note: Take A Chance For Charity is a new charity focused on giving artists / actors / athletes the ability to get out of their comfort zone, having the people with a platform get out of thegenre they are known for to raise funds / awareness for the charity of their choice. An actor can sing, an athlete can dance, a musician can sing a song out of their musical genre -any artistic interpretation. This gives the artist the ability to do something out of the ordinary, in fact extraordinary all in the name of charity. Tremonti Sings Sinatra will be the first release for the cause, the recipient being NDSS. http://www.takeachanceforcharity.org
