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Sinatra is often quoted as saying, "Vic Damone has the best pipes in the business." The rest of the sentence is not often printed: "but he doesn't always know what to do with them." That's the Damone curse. He has a glorious voice -- like a 1940s Sinatra with a touch of Torme -- that has hardly aged a day over the years, but he often glides over standards instead of sinking into them. Sinatra's "Laura" is a disturbing study of obsession, while Damone's version is a beautiful love song about a girl. But when it's time for pillow talk, Damone's pure tone works better than Paris in the spring. He has made some swell records over the years, like the excellent This Game of Love (1959) featuring a small jazz group, and his easy-going manner meshes perfectly with hard-swinging big bands. The world needs beautiful love songs now more than ever -- and Vic Damone is just the man to deliver them.
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