But Beautiful: Standards: Volume I

Released in 2003, But Beautiful: Standards: Volume I represents a significant stylistic departure for Boz Scaggs, who spent the previous three decades as a titan of blue-eyed soul and soft rock. Recorded with a small jazz ensemble including pianist Paul Nagel and bassist Robert Hurst, the album eschews the 'yacht rock' polish of his Silk Degrees era for a raw, acoustic jazz aesthetic. The project was born out of Scaggs' desire to explore the music he grew up with, focusing on the Great American Songbook with an emphasis on ballads. Critically, the album was praised for its restraint and Scaggs' surprisingly adept jazz phrasing, proving his versatility beyond the R&B charts. It stands as a sophisticated late-career pivot that successfully rebranded Scaggs as a credible jazz interpreter, eventually leading to further explorations in the genre.