JAZZ REVIEW : Kenny Rankin in Fine Form at the Cinegrill

After too many bookings that creaked of nostalgia-for-its-own-sake, the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill has taken a vigorous, and much-needed step into the present with the presentation of singer-guitarist Kenny Rankin.

Like the many mature musical performers who have worked in the room in recent months, Rankin is essentially an interpretive singer--one who devoted a good portion of his set to the examination of the songs of other composers. Unlike some of those preceding grand ladies, however, Rankin is an artist whose considerable skills are still very much at their peak.

Rankin’s lovely, high tenor voice is one of the marvels of pop music. Without breaking into the tinny falsetto that many male singers resort to in their upper registers, he is able to soar to astonishing heights. His versions of “Here’s That Rainy Day,” “With a Little Help From My Friends,” “Blackbird” and “She’s a Lady” were classics--superb examples of the manner in which a superior performer can bring new life and vigor to even the most familiar material.

Until recently, Rankin’s original work has generally played second fiddle to his interpretations of standards. Too bad. He is a fine songwriter. Fortunately, he left time in this set for his own ballad, “Haven’t We Met,” as well as the deeply interior “Hiding in Myself,” from his current album.

Typically willing to take chances, he also included early versions of some pieces composed in the last few weeks with his talented wife and collaborator, Aime Rankin. Among the best was a still-evolving song about El Salvador.

Rankin sang with only his guitar (and occasionally piano) for accompaniment. But that was no handicap. The almost symbiotic interplay between his warmly romantic voice and the rich harmonic clusters he generates from his guitar make for one of the most appealing combinations in adult pop music. This time around, the Cinegrill has a real winner.

Rankin will return to the Cinegrill tonight through Saturday.