The story behind Nino Tempo's comeback album Tenor Saxophone is far more interesting than most anything you'll find on the disc.

The instrumental half of a '60s pop duo with his sister April Kelly, Tempo had been in jazz retirement for years when label founder (and subsequently, the album's producer) Ahmet Ertegun approached Tempo to play at the memorial service for his late brother, Neshui Ertegun.

The saxophonist made such an impression that Ertegun immediately signed him to a new deal, much to Tempo's surprise.

While Tempo is a frequently strong player, the disc (the title of which is about as bland as most of its content) suffers from both a lack of original material (more than half the tunes are either pop covers or standards) and a muddy production quality that makes the music sound like background at the senior prom.

Still, Tempo makes the most of these limitations with some frequently sporty blowing.