Steve Lippia: Simply Sinatra September 28, 2012

    Steve Lippia Does It His Way at Cerritos

                                          By Glen Creason

     Steve Lippia is billed as a kind of Frank Sinatra tribute show but this guy is way better than that sounds. Granted, he has obviously studied the Chairman from his phrasing to his stage gestures and most certainly Lippia does the prime-years Sinatra justice. However, this is a thoughtful, thoroughly rehearsed, ultra-professional and actually edifying show that gives an audience a listen to great music played by an excellent ten man orchestra that the generous Mister Lippia elevates with his wonderful voice. It was wholly appropriate that this show at Cerritos saluted Sinatra who opened the Performing Arts Center close to twenty years ago. This was a performance that created that close your eyes and you would feel like Old Blue Eyes was back in Cerritos. Along the way, the singer taught some lessons, not only about the composers of these great American songbook gems but the all-important arrangers like Billy May, or Don Costa or Nelson Riddle or Jimmy Van Heusen. The seven man horn section, standup bass, drums and piano behind the vocalist seemed to be energized by the opportunity the play such great stuff and blasted out high-voltage big band sounds the way they should be heard. At the center of the seamless sound was bandleader Steve Sigmund who played hot trombone and kept the band tight in all numbers.

     This is a show polished by hundreds of performances and the gent in charge knows how to entertain so there was balance and enough texture to ensure a steady stream of Sinatra hits, spiced by just a few good ones from elsewhere. Just to give examples we heard “Don’t Go Changin’” from Billy Joel, the evocative “Let Me Try Again” by Paul Anka, a show-stopping “Mac the Knife” a la Bobby Darrin and a strong “the Good Life” in homage to Tony Bennett. Outside of those songs it was all Frank, all the time and all of it ring-a-ding-ding good. There were ballads like “For Once in My Life,” “Where or When,” “All the Way,” and “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” that caused the hearts to throb a little all over the big hall. Swinging Sinatra was also represented with “That’s Life,” “Saturday Night,”  “Witchcraft.” And “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” that just made you want to order a martini and light up a cigarette. Lippia was considerate enough to sing a knock-out version of my favorite “Summer Wind” along with a hear-a-pin-drop version of “Send In the Clowns” that actually was better than the original Sinatra version. He even followed up a spot-on “My Way” with a rousing encore of “New York, New York” that had a bunch of left-coasters singing along merrily.

      I confess I am not a Vegas person as I have a high sensitivity to cheesiness but Mister Lippia who seems to love Glitter Gulch makes it seem romantic and appealing once again.  At least if I am ever stuck on the strip again (I don’t gamble) I know the show I want to see.