This is the centenary of the Chairman of the Board’s birth, and the tribute machine is in full swing (so to speak). Chicago, being a Sinatra kind of town, has been overrun with latter-day incarnations (including, this summer, Frank Sinatra Jr.), but none has been more diligent than baritone jazz divo Paul Marinaro. He’s got the tone, he’s got the vibe… and the shared heritage probably helped him pull off a Sinatra tribute at this summer’s Festa Italiana. But Marinaro’s year also found him playing nearly every joint in town, releasing a live double-album, and gigging in his hometown of Buffalo (as analogous to Sinatra’s Hoboken as makes no difference). Sinatra’s legacy also includes workaholism; ergo, in the tribute sweepstakes, Marinaro wins.
