If Mark Tremonti releasing a Frank Sinatra covers album was on your 2022 bingo card, you just struck lucky.
Starring none other than the Alter Bridge/Creed guitarist himself on vocals, Tremonti has announced that the project, titled Tremonti Sings Sinatra, is in benefit of his new self-founded charity, Take A Chance On Charity, inspired by his daughter.
Officially announcing the charity album on World Down Syndrome Day (March 21), Tremonti has teamed up with the National Down Syndrome Society for the release, which is set to arrive on May 27 through his new charity initiative.
The album features Tremonti expertly crooning to iconic Frank Sinatra tracks, backed by members of Ol' Blue Eyes' touring band. Tremonti worked closely with supportive guidance from the Sinatra family to create new takes on both classics and deeper cuts from Frank's catalogue, including Fly Me To The Moon, My Way and more.
Proceeds from the album will go to support NDSS and the work they do to advocate for and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families. The cause is close to Tremonti's heart; he welcomed his first daughter Stella, born with Down syndrome, to the world last March.
To mark the exciting news, Tremonti has released the project's first single alongside an accompanying video, a cover of the Sinatra classic I've Got You Under My Skin.
A video featuring a very personal story of Take A Chance For Charity with behind-the-scenes clips has also been released, which you can watch below.
“For years, I’ve loved singing along to Frank’s songs,” Mark explains. “One night, I found an old video of him performing The Song Is You from 1944. It made me want to dive into his vocal approach.
"I was all in and I wanted to do something with it. 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. Doing this charity in his name was another way the stars had aligned. I decided to do this record to raise funds for families and individuals with Down syndrome. This project is the start of a new purpose that I will have for the rest of my life.”
Speaking to Classic Rock's Dave Ling about his adoration for Sinatra, he explains, "At Christmas time on the karaoke mic I always felt good singing it. One night I was doing a deep dive on the internet and found some great old Sinatra songs, it was like a like a switch went off. I knew I needed to record them. I didn’t know what for, or why, I wanted to sing just like Frank.
"For years I focussed on trying to do that. When I took my son to soccer practise I practised for three hours at a time."
Of recording the project with the original members of Sinatra's touring band, he continues: "That was an absolute honour. We got approval from the Sinatra family to do it, they had only previously allowed Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé, so that was the highest gift in the world for me.
"We recorded 14 songs and I’m more proud of this record than any other I’ve done. We’ve also started something called Take A Chance For Charity which challenges artists of any kind to do something that their fanbase wouldn’t expect. For example, Snoop Doggy Dogg recording a country song or something that causes people to go: ‘What?’ and do it in the name of charity."
Listen to I've Got You Under My Skin below and pre-order Tremonti Sings Sinatra now:
Tremonti Sings Sinatra tracklist:
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
