Author: Jernej Vene
Artist: Sinatra, Frank
Label: Universal Music Group
Release: 2014
Duration: 48:30
Rating: 3.5/5
Over his career, Frank Sinatra recorded a ton of songs in all sorts of styles and moods. Some people file him under the so-called crooners (those smooth, velvety hummers), but he never said he belonged only in that box. Quite the opposite, he saw himself as a jazz singer, something many never gave him credit for. Still, his glittering path was also marked by plenty of charming love songs.
The collection Sinatra With Love brings together songs released on Capitol and Reprise, the labels where Frankie Boy spent the longest stretch of his career. Now that both of these sub-labels are owned by the multinational Universal, other records will be coming out in the Signature Sinatra series too, and at the end of 2015 there’s reportedly a huge box set of goodies on the way as well.
Sinatra was known as a perceptive interpreter of standards and classics from the golden age of the big bands, which barely held on to its audience after World War II, but still thrilled people with fresh recordings in the age of rock ‘n’ roll. Of course, Frank, like many of his contemporaries, wasn’t a songwriter. His team usually hired tried-and-true pairs of composers and lyricists for that job. Among them you’ll find names like George Gerswhin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Sammy Cahn. It Could Happen To You, The Look Of Love and (Love Is) A Tender Trap are titles that still ring in plenty of ears today.
Sinatra With Love steers between deeply romantic ballads and swinging, playful mid-tempo standards. Most of the songs were arranged by Sinatra’s near-constant collaborator, conductor and producer Nelson Riddle, who delivered an almost flawless orchestral sound. Sinatra’s contribution stretches across sixty years of a glittering career, which colors his work with an extra zest for life and everything beautiful, and of course for the most beautiful feeling of all…
How much of Frank’s act was staged, or what really lay behind those blue eyes, only his closest circle knows or knew. We’ve also forgotten his alleged mob ties, and they can’t take away from his great contribution. With charm and plenty of confidence, he showed how to win over a whole lot of ears and hearts.
Frank Sinatra embodied the American dream. From an angry young man out of a poor New York suburb, he became a singing legend through a refined approach to music (and, of course, the crafty help of management teams). Through him, American pop music became a major export, and the pull toward general cultural literacy practically obliges us to spare at least a moment of our time for this giant of music history and his seductive voice. For romance and a mellow evening with music from another era, Sinatra With Love will be more than welcome.
Lineup
Frank Sinatra – vocals
Matty Golizio, Allan Reuss, George Van Eps – guitar
William Clifton, Johnny Guarnieri, Ken Lane – piano
Allan Harshman, Alexander Neiman, Maurice Perlmutter, Leonard Selic – viola
Victor Arno, Robert Barene, William Bloom, Harry Blostein, Frederick Buldrini – violin
Maurice Brown, Fred Goerner, Armand Karpoff, George Ricci – cello
Billy Butterfield, Charles Max, Herman Griffard, James Stagliano, Joseph Singer – horn
Heine Beau, Ernie Caceres, Emmett Callen, Harold Feldman – saxophone
Herman Alpert, John Ryan, Arthur Shapiro, Frank Siravo – double bass
Johnny Blowers, Ray Hagan, Nat Polen, Dave Barbour – drums
Production
Nelson Riddle
Tracklist
1. Moonlight Becomes You
2. Love Is Here To Stay
3. Just One Of Those Things
4. Misty
5. Nice ‘N’ Easy
6. It Could Happen To You
7. The Way You Look Tonight
8. Love Looks So Well On You
9. (Love Is) The Tender Trap
10. I Love You
11. The Look Of Love
12. Something’s Gotta Give
13. From This Moment On
14. Wave
15. It Had To Be You
16. My Foolish Heart
