It can be said, in a way, that Edgar Mortiz, TV director, producer, sometime-actor, and sensational teenage idol of the screaming 1970s, has come full circle with this new endeavor of his: A brand-new collection of standards, either originated or popularized by the legendary Frank Sinatra.

It has always been, in his own words, a passion project that has been brewing in his heart and mind for years and years during the time that the man has been away from the limelight, detached from singing.

Edgar has made a promise to himself. He would sing again, record an album of personal favorites, songs rarely or hardly heard nowadays, before he turned 70. He turned 69 on Aug. 30, 2023.

This isn’t a comeback, take note, simply a return to the recording studio to do what his heart had always yearned for, to sing the songs that he loved and believed in, those that inspire, lift the spirit, put a smile on people’s faces, including his.  

Suffice to say this one is a gift to self, a legacy project for family and friends.

Throughout the 8-track album, delight in Edgar’s smooth vocals that remain true to form, verve and vivacity surprisingly still intact, full and rotund despite advancing years, concerns other than singing, and lack of practice.

The voice is as gentle and as familiar as a cool breeze as it glides and slides from song to song, taking listeners off to a joyful, sentimental ride to past and present, remembrance and forgetting, to near and far, reminding one and all that here’s one crooner, one of the last few men standing, we have missed out much on.

From ‘All My Tomorrows’ to ‘That’s Life,’ Edgar allows us an opportunity to once more relish and delight in his unique yet faithful interpretation of such timeless Sinatra songs, personal and individualized, tender and caressing, with the indelible, incredible stamp of the singing champion that he once was.

xxx

PASSERBY: Sarah Geronimo is activating her acting career in 2024 with two movies lined up for her by Viva. These are Wonderful Nightmare with Matteo Guidicelli, and Safe Space with John Lloyd Cruz.

Matteo recently shared on  Karen Davila’s channel his and Sarah’s 4-hectare farm in a hilly barangay in Paete, Laguna where they maintain a back-to-basics lifestyle.

Alden Richards debuts as a director in Out of Order, a courtroom drama starring himself and Heaven Peralejo, a co-production between Alden’s company and Viva Films.