I knew a professional trumpet player who said that Frank wouldn't record without Conrad Gozzo playing in the trumpet section. I've never been able to verify that, but it's a nice story.
Another tidbit, did you know he was into model trains? He had a whole room in his Palm Springs compound dedicated to his trains and had a guy he hired to curate his collection.
I knew a professional trumpet player who said that Frank wouldn't record without Conrad Gozzo playing in the trumpet section. I've never been able to verify that, but it's a nice story.
Check out the studio version of this and they are talkin' to each other. Can't be 100% sure but it sounds like his muted style of playing further in the mix, on this version.
In the Wee Small Hours and Only the Lonely are in my collection, too.
I have to disagree with those who think Sinatra didn't have much voice and that most of his appeal was in his famous phrasing. It's true that his phrasing was superb, but I also think he had a strong and attractive voice, which only became a bit weak in the "passaggio" area (that is to say, the area in which the singer "passes" into his high register). According to Henry Pleasants in his book The Great American Popular Singers, this was because Frank refused to "cover" (alter his vowels somewhat) as he went up the scale; he didn't want to sound like a classical singer. But Sinatra was a master of legato, which of course is the basis of all fine singing, from classical to pop.
Just listen to the way he bathes this song in beautiful tone:
And then there's this song, from the musical of the same name. It's often associated with opera singers (Todd Duncan, the original Porgy for Gershwin, introduced it on Broadway), but Sinatra more than does it justice. The low notes are especially impressive, IMO:
As for Frank's movie roles, I love his performance in The Man with the Golden Arm. The character was ideally suited to him.
My wife would agree with 100% on those observations, she loves Sinatra and also wants me to put a plug in for Ella Fitzgerald.
She says his early stuff is best (she makes pithy comments like that)
I'm a Sinatra fanatic and have listened to pretty much everything of his dozens of times. The Capitol albums really are the pinnacle of his achievement and one of the pinnacles of all popular music. The Reprise albums of the 60's also have tons of brilliant material but there are occasional misses, unlike in the Capitol years. The early Columbia work is really charming as well in it's naivety and the pure smooth sound of Sinatra's voice. In my opinion, his greatest album has got to be In the Wee Small Hours.
I really have Sinatra to thank for my eventual path to classical music. The fantastic orchestral arrangements in his music blew me away and moved me to explore more of the jazz and classical fields.
This is a serious point of contention between my father and I. He loves Sinatra and I say Dean Martin was far superior. We may never see eye to eye on this one. As for offspring, Frank Sinatra Jr (The Sopranos) vs Dean Martin Jr (Misfits of Science) is not so cut and dry. At least Deano Jr married the incomparable Olivia Hussey and went out in a blaze of glory.
I have Frank Sinatra Gold 1 & 2 and another Sinatra Gold, Nothing but the Best, Greatest Love Songs and The Essential Frank Sinatra-The Columbia Years.
Strangely, none of them have my favorite Frank song "She's Funny That Way." I've heard a million versions but no one does it like him. I do his version at open mics sometimes only I do it more in the style of early Tom Waits and I leave off the last verse which I don't like.
Previously I hadn't paid much attention to the last of his Capitols, The Point Of No Return, a contractual obligation / farewell album themed around songs of time passed and fading memories - but after a couple of recent plays is risen considerably in my estimation to become as essential as some of the more famous and flashier.
I love pretty much everything he did except the trash Mitch Mitchell had him record when his carear was in the doldrums before he bounced back in From Here to Eternity AND any of the Axel Stordahl arranged albums. The pace is always slower than the slowest and I just can't get any enjoyment. Frank noticed this, heard the arangements the up and coming Nat King Cole was getting and hired Nat's guy. And that's how he got to work with Nelson Riddle.
Love Sinatra and delighted Figleaf does too.
It's strange that Sintra was one of the Singers who grabbed all the attention that led to the demise of big bands but that time also featured songwriters who just weren't as talented as the previous generation of greats Porter/Gershwin/Kern/Rogers etc. the result is Frank never introduced a song that stands on it's own as a standard. This can also be seen as a tribute to his talent that he truned lesser materials into Gold.
Not sure about the guy thing. Wasn't true in his day, he was a ladies man.
One more thing if all they said about Sinatra was true then after this Mitch Miller surely woke up one morning next to the severed head of his family pooch! Then he released Frank from his Columbia contract and that's how Reprise Records was born!
I'm with you on 'cool', as in his singing is the opposite of histrionic but I feel his strength is he sings from within the lyric. For me he's never detached or emotionally disengaged as you put it.
Elton John and Bernie Taupin made this song specifically for Sinatra and this live version is probably the only version by Sinatra that exist. I like it very much. It's pretty much sad song. I've heard some other verions, but this one is by far the best.
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