Crooning, Clowning at Salute to Sinatra

The evening kicked off with Elton John, Sting, Billy Joel, James Taylor and Charles Aznavour clowning around like the Rat Pack on “Well, Did You Evah!”--a swingin’ serenade that promises, “What a swell party it is.”

Once you got used to the idea that none of the rockers on the bill was even going to rock, swell is just what the Ninth Annual Rainforest Foundation Benefit was.

Suave instead of sweaty, sentimental instead of stompin’, the concert to aid the rain forest and its indigenous tribes was nevertheless pure entertainment from start to finish. As well it should have been, with ticket prices ranging from $100 for a rafter seat to $2,000 for a prime spot plus the post-concert gala.

The show was a tribute to Frank Sinatra, who died nearly a year ago. Of course, none of the night’s stars could match Ol’ Blue Eyes’ vocal finesse. But with most of the younger performers getting on in age and their rock hits becoming standards, the theme was oddly appropriate.

And most of the gang--including those who weren’t obvious pros at this type of venue, such as septuagenarians Aznavour and Tony Bennett--did surprisingly well crooning to the tinkling piano, gauzy percussion, jazzy horn toots and swooning strings of the 40-piece Frank Sinatra Orchestra.

John, his suit a-glitter, stole the show several times, and not just when he placed a wedding veil on Sting’s head, waltzed him around the stage and kissed him while singing: “Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage.” His vocals were resonant and smooth; his pacing on “Come Fly With Me” would have made The Chairman proud.

Joel--who like the other stars sang but didn’t play any instruments--was in equally fine form, relaxed yet dynamic. The newly anointed Rock and Roll Hall of Famer performed “One for My Baby” boozy and bluesy; his “The Lady Is a Tramp” was sassy and brassy.

Latin heartthrob Ricky Martin, who swiveled his hips and struck cocky Sinatra poses in a gray suit and porkpie hat, exuded an unstoppable mix of self-confidence and exuberance as he sang a butter-smooth “I’ve Got the World on a String” to a steamy, tropical beat.

Bill Murray, the night’s surprise guest, did irreverent justice to “My Way,” posing as Sinatra the tyrant as he bellowed lyrics, barked at the orchestra, blithely ad-libbed verses, swilled from a bottle and staggered about the stage. Murray’s decadence wasn’t quite up to the level of Sid Vicious’ late-’70s take, but his vocals were surprisingly forceful and emotive.

A feline Sandra Bernhard, sporting spike-heeled black boots and a ‘60s coat, added to the theatrics by engagingly growling her way through the Nancy Sinatra hit “These Boots Are Made for Walking.”

Sting, who organized the benefit with his wife, Trudie Styler, performed a dreamy “In the Wee Small Hours,” a song that lent itself perfectly to his high, yearning tones. Taylor looked endearingly geeky as he sang “I Get a Kick Out of You,” but he compensated with boyish earnestness, gentle warmth and a shyly beaming smile.

Don Henley was another fish out of water, stiff and blow-dried in a suit and tie. His voice was too raspy to do justice to “Here Goes,” but he redeemed himself with a heartfelt “Angel Eyes.”