Sting - Been Down So Long - 1985

When Sting embarked on his solo career, he didn't throw his tenure with the Police out the window; on this live double album from his Dream of the Blue Turtles tour, he reworks some odd selections from his old band's catalog in the expansive, jazz-inflected style of his new crew (which included saxophonist Branford Marsalis). These performances emphasize showmanship (solos, backup singers, and all) and they've got lots of crowd-pleasing moments, like the overwhelming swell of "I Burn for You" and a Caribbean clap-along on a medley of "One World" and "Love Is the Seventh Wave." But Sting's raw-steak voice has been affected by his band, too, and his phrasing on the quieter torch songs draws cleverly on jazz traditions.