December 22, 2015
Miracler
Nick Dedina
Location
San Francisco
Liner Notes from ND
Sinatra started the 1960s strong, releasing stellar albums with Count Basie, Neil Hefti, and Johnny Mandel as well as great ones with old friends such as Nelson Riddle and Billy May).
But, by the mid-1960s, adult pop took a turn for the worse with a pronounced Nashville influence. Frank’s old pal Dean Martin was outselling him with material that hasn’t stood the test of time. Also, with Dylan and The Beatles cutting brilliant LPs all the other kids got in on the action too. Suddenly, rockers weren’t just making singles. When adults got into stereo-sound the LPs they bought started getting shorter and shorter to deepen the grooves and show off that space-age sound. The kids were still putting plenty of songs on them – and even recording in mono.
By the mid-‘60s, Sinatra stuff was erratic but he was still recorded great stuff with Tom Jobim (heard here in a wonderful TV medley – there entire 1.5 albums together are worth owning), a mixed set with Duke Ellington that has some true stunners on it and another go around with Count Basie, this time with old friend Quincy Jones (Sinatra did European concerts with his hard bop big band in the late ‘50s).
Fun side trips were the prison concerts with Basie + band plus directing an eccentric anti-war movie as the war in Vietnam was heating up that ends with carnage and the words “Nobody Ever Wins.”
The TV specials were good too – winning him a Peabody. Beyond the Jobim duets here there is a Hammond B-3 crazed reading of “That’s Life” and a rhythm heavy rundown of “Get Me To The Church On Time.”
He got to the church early but the marriage to Mia Farrow did not last long.
Even the friends couldn’t stop the booze and bloat – but they probably made it go down easier. A new life of not-recording new material and 1970s sports arena and stadium tours was just around the corner.
The kids were cocky at the time but it’s the same career that everyone who now does one of those “listen to our classic album in concert” now does. And we all go because we want the youthful past – not the present or the future.
1. Follow Me (with Duke Ellington)
2. Let’s Fall In Love (with Johnny Mandel and a host of Cool jazz stalwarts)
3. Pennies From Heaven (with Count Basie)
4. I’m Beginning To See The Light (with Neil Hefti; sax solo by Ben Webster)
5. Please Be Kind (with Count Basie)
6. Get Me To The Church On Time (Ralph Pena on bass)
7. You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me (with Nelson Riddle)
8. Oh, You Crazy Moon (with N.R. – trumpet solo by Harry “Sweets” Edison)
9. In The Still of The Night (with J.M.)
10. Indian Summer (with Duke, sax solo by Johnny Hodges)
11. It Started All Over Again (with Sy Oliver)
12. A Fine Romance (with J.M)
13. Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone (with Billy May)
14. Yellow Days (with Duke, sax solo by Johnny Hodges)
15. Jobim Medley
16. A Foggy Day (with J.M>)
17. I Believe In You (with Count Basie + Quincy Jones)
18. That’s Life (live Hammond B-3 version)
19. I Won’t Dance (with Basie + Hefti)
20. East of the Sun (with Sy Oliver)
21. Be Careful, Its My Heart (with J.M)
22. The Moon Was Yellow (bossa version with N.R. + Laurindo Almeida)
23. They Can’t Take That Away From Me (with Neil Hefti)
24. All My Tomorrows (with Don Costa)
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2 comments:
Oh, that "Basie Ending." So cheesy, but your ears wait for it like kids waiting for Christmas morning. (BTW – Merry Christmas, everyone!)
Thanks, Nick. This one's been in heavy rotation over the holiday. "A Foggy Day" is my favorite song ever, and I've always enjoyed this version. "Let's Fall In Love" and "Please Be Kind" are perfectly crafted pop tunes, I simply cannot listen to them without singing – loudly – along.
Bonus points: "Yellow Moon" is new to this 30+ years obsessive Sinatra lover.
And, of course, a Hammond B-3 makes everything better.
Doug is right about the Hammond B3. If only Sinatra had worked with Billy Preston. This mix covers my favorite era of Sinatra. His voice was older, wiser and sadder. It gets to me. Some of my favorites here - "Be Careful, It's My Heart," "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "All My Tomorrows" almost border on parody, but that's the voice and phrasing I love. For a minute there, I saw the title "I'm beginning to See The Light" and thought one of Frank's "friends" might've been Lou Reed. Ah, well. Good tune anyway. Helluva job, Nick.
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