After his untimely death in 1985 at the age of 54, one of his sons, Matt Junior, decided to keep his name and legacy alive.
Last night at the Queen's Hall, the younger Monro performed to an intimate gathering, telling stories and singing his fath
er's best known songs, as well as a few of his own choosing.
Unfortunately, it wasn't so much a case of following in his father's footsteps, as grimly clinging to his coat-tails. Matt Jnr was sadly not blessed with the vocal talent of Matt Senior, nor was he given quite the same gift of the gab.
Perhaps the kindest thing that might be said about the show was that it kept the memory of Matt Monro alive, although some sections of the audience might have argued that.
While there were some who not only applauded, but gave the 44 year old a standing ovation at the end, more sat with folded arms, clearly unimpressed.
Young Matt's voice seemed constricted, and the lyrics were often spoiled as he chewed his words.
The phrasing of well known songs seemed to suffer as he strove to stamp his own identity on the tracks, making them awkward and forced.
One classic, Mac The Knife, worked better than most, but then the phrasing and delivery there was almost a carbon copy of Sinatra's own version. As an aside, junior mentioned how Sinatra himself famously admired Monro Snr.
Brief stories like that proved to be the best value of the evening. The best joke of the night came early and alone, as he noted how few ever spelled the famous surname correctly, opting for Munro or Munroe. "It's easy," he said, "it's just an anagram of 'moron'".
A perhaps little know fact or two came out: producer George Martin got Monro Snr to record a song in the style of Sinatra for Peter Sellers to sing, loved the version he sang, and instead used it on a different album, crediting Monro as Fred Flange.
The Martin connection continued as Paul McCartney allowed Monro to become the first person to record the timeless and often covered classic, Yesterday – even before the Beatles had released theirs.
With his greying hair slicked back in his father's style, and wearing a retro looking charcoal grey suit, complete with thin lapels, Matt Jnr frequently maintained that the show was not a tribute and perhaps that was the case.
His numerous and constant references to "My dad", the sheer number of Monro senior's songs and the fact that his musical director and pianist – Colin Keyes – was his father's arranger might argue the point a little though.
On the whole, the band was well rehearsed and tight, though at least one of the trumpets was something of a loose cannon, frequently sharp in the upper octaves.
Nevertheless, the rhythm section couldn't have been tighter, laying a firm foundation for the performance.
For fans of the original, this show presents an opportunity to connect with a little piece of beloved musical history, at least. Diluted versions of classics like Born Free, My Kind Of Girl and Softly As I Leave You wrapped in delightful anecdotes might be enough, but if not, most of Matt Monro Snr's back catalogue is readily available.
The full article contains 598 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
