Ryan Baker has gained a strong reputation in the Las Vegas area for his ability not only to sound like Frank Sinatra but also to portray the Chairman in shows and productions. However, on his debut album Timeless Again, Ryan sings very much in his own voice, allowing one to appreciate and enjoy his appealing and fresh style. One thing that Baker shares in common with Sinatra is his ability to pick out superior songs to interpret. “My favorite songs have complex melodies and meaningful lyrics that express honest emotions in a subtle, not-so-obvious way. I enjoy performing songs that people may not know, as well as ones they know but may not have heard in a while.” For Timeless Again, Ryan put together a group filled with some of Las Vegas’ top jazz musicians. “First of all, as far as the arrangements, Joe Lano wrote me fifteen masterpieces”, says Baker. Lano, a gifted guitar player and mainstay of Las Vegas showrooms for over 40 years, has worked with countless legendary names, including being personal accompanist to Lena Horne. Bassist Jeff Davis has worked with such artists as Joe Williams, Marlena Shaw, and Pete Christlieb, while drummer Jess Gopen has played with the likes of Freddie Hubbard and Michael McDonald, and is currently touring with Clint Holmes. Davis and Gopen, together with Lano, have been working together as one of the most sought-after jazz trios in Las Vegas for years, so they were already quite comfortable and familiar with each other’s playing. Pianist Dave Loeb, who serves as Director of Jazz Studies at UNLV and was conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra for over ten years, is also the pianist and arranger for the television series Family Guy, the latest in a list of too many other television and music credits to name. Trumpeter Rocky Lombardo, also featured on the flugelhorn, has been playing in bands for over 40 years, including with Frank Sinatra and Nancy Wilson. Saxophonist Eric Tewalt, who has worked in bands for such shows as Jersey Boys and artists such as Celine Dion, appears on five tracks, playing four different instruments: alto, tenor, soprano, and flute. As for Ryan Baker, he has blended the inspirations of Sinatra, Mel Torme, Anita O’Day, Joe Williams and others into his own likable style. He sounds at his best on these fifteen songs, performing both obscure gems and transformed versions of standards. Asked about the title of the project, Ryan explains, “I called this set Timeless Again because these songs are not just 1930s or ‘40s music – the beautiful stories they tell with their poetic lyrics are still relevant today. So, if they truly are timeless, as I and many others believe them to be, then the perfect time to sing them is... right now.” Baker indeed does justice to these timeless classics with his impressive debut. – Scott Yanow, author of 11 books including The Jazz Singers, Swing, and Jazz On Record: The First Sixty Years