This feature appeared in Hmmm... #5

The Voice - Frank Sinatra Live

"It's Frank's world. We're just lucky to be living in it."
-Dean Martin

After over 50 years of playing to sell-out houses throughout the world it seems like Frank Sinatra is showing signs of slowing down. Certainly the recent losses of friends Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. have taken their toll. If Sinatra's touring days are indeed behind him, at least we are fortunate enough to have several great recordings of The Voice from peak periods of his illustrious career.

In this piece I will cover six of his recordings which are readily available. Two of these are possibly bootlegs, although they were purchased from a major music mail-order catalogue. For a career as long as Sinatra's there are surprisingly few concert recordings. However, this is more than made up for by the performances that were captured on these releases.

Frank Sinatra Live! - Seattle, Washington Concert (Jazz Hour)
Concert Date: June 9, 1957
This is one of two recordings included in this feature which may or may not be a bootleg. It is a great example of Frankie doing what he does best at the peak of his popularity. This concert was recorded shortly after the releases of classic albums such as Songs For Swingin' Lovers, Swing Easy, Close To You, and A Swingin' Affair. His film career was also soaring. "The Man With The Golden Arm", "High Society", and "The Joker Is Wild" came out around this time.

All of the classics can be found on this recording: You Make Me Feel So Young, The Lady Is A Tramp, One For My Baby, I've Got You Under My Skin, and fourteen other favorites. There is also a five minute monologue where Frank jokes about booze and dames. He is in a giddy mood on this evening, and had the material and the pipes to allow these songs to really cook.

Ratings

Frank Sinatra & Sextet - Live In Paris (Reprise)
Concert Date: June 5, 1962
This was released for the first time a couple of years ago and features Sinatra with a stripped down ensemble performing 25 classics. It was interesting to hear these songs without huge orchestras or horn sections. The arrangements are jazzier and have more room to breathe.

The evening started off with a frisky version of Goody, Goody, yet without the horns normally associated with many of Sinatra's classics some of the tunes seemed a little flat. If you are looking for a Sinatra recording which documents his nightclub routine, you'd be better off with Sinatra At The Sands. If you want a collection of great songs with the focus on his singing, this one comes highly recommended.

Ratings

Sinatra, Martin, & Davis, Jr. - Live at Villa Venice, Chicago (Jazz Hour)
Concert Date: Between November 26 & December 2, 1962
This is the other recording in this piece which may be a bootleg, although the packaging makes this one seem a bit more legitimate. If you are more into Sinatra the celebrity, this is the one to get. There are fewer songs sung by Sinatra than on the other recordings, since he is sharing the spotlight with the rest of his Rat Pack buddies.

Also in evidence is the amount of alcohol which they must have consumed during these shows. This comes as no surprise to anyone who was a Dean Martin fan, yet Frankie is in rare form here. He just won't shut up! Neither will the others though, which makes this such an entertaining concert to listen to.

The first disk of this two-part set is made up of solo performances by each of the singers. The show starts with a short set by Dean which includes his signature song, Volare. Next up is Frank, who rips through Goody, Goody, Chicago, When Your Lover Has Gone, Please Be Kind, You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You, and a short comedy routine. The disk is rounded out by Sammy, performing four of his classic tunes.

Disk two has the three of them together, singing bits of songs, doing impressions of celebrities (including each other), and telling joke after joke. All rules of etiquette are thrown out here; the audience eats it up. After twenty minutes of craziness they get back to the tunes, performing Too Marvelous For Words, The Lady Is A Tramp, Me And My Shadow, and nine others.

Ratings

Sinatra With Count Basie - Sinatra At The Sands (Reprise)
Concert Date: January, 1966
This is perhaps the finest live Sinatra recording, full of energetic vocals and splashes of humor thrown in here and there. He can barely get through I've Got A Crush On You, laughing as the saxophone echos his words. He replies, "Wanna meet Monday? We'll pick out the furniture." A few songs later he is able to bring the mood down for one of his "saloon songs", a stirring rendition of One For My Baby.

Halfway through the set Sinatra launches into a 10 minute comedy routine, commenting on his Rat Pack buddies and renovations being done to The Sands Hotel, as well as recollecting some of the high points of his long career. The rest of the evening was up and down, performing melancholic tunes such as It Was A Very Good Year and The September Of My Years, and some of his friskier songs like Get Me To The Church On Time and the closer, My Kind Of Town. If you can only get one live Sinatra recording, this is the one.

Ratings

Sinatra - The Main Event (Warner Brothers)
Concert Date: October 13, 1974
Sinatra's in fighting mode on this album, recorded shortly after ending his self-imposed retirement. He is introduced by Howard Cosell, who rambles on and on and on. Finally, Sinatra hits the stage, launching into a raucous version of The Lady Is A Tramp. Next he moves on to a swinging rendition of I Get A Kick Out Of You. During this song, you notice a few rough spots in Frank's singing, but it's nothing which detracts greatly from the performance. He just sounds a little out of practice.

There are some schmaltzy bits on this disk, such as Paul Anka's Let Me Try Again and Stevie Wonder's You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, yet songs like I've Got You Under My Skin and My Kind Of Town more than make up for this. The concert closes powerfully with My Way, Sinatra's signature tune which he would perform at nearly every show after this.

Ratings

Sinatra's 80th - Live In Concert (Capitol)
Concert Dates: Various Shows 1987-1993
Being a big fan of Sinatra's recordings done in the 50's and 60's I didn't really know what to expect on this recording. I thought that his voice may have deserted him; that the old spark may be gone. These doubts quickly disappeared when I put this on. I realized that Sinatra still has it; the voice, the charm, and that fighting spirit. I actually think he sounds better here than on "The Main Event" recording.

Things start off up-tempo, with a swinging version of You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. This time it's full of fire and emotion. Not that this disk is without some cheesiness; just take a listen to his version of If by Bread. For the most part what you'll hear is a more reflective Sinatra, through songs like My Heart Stood Still, Angel Eyes, and an epic version of Soliloquy. To bring the mood back up anthems such as New York, New York and My Way close the set.

His days of living it up in excess may be over; there are few jokes and very little of the rowdiness which had peppered his shows through the years. At one point he says, "May I have a glass of water? If anybody recorded that I'd like two-thousand copies of that; that I said water." All in all this recording is Sinatra and his music, without the extra goofiness that have been a part of his previous live recordings.

Ratings

Here are reviews from past issues of The Continental & Hmmm...

(*)A Tour De Force (Bravura)
This is Sinatra at the peak of his career. Recorded in Melbourne, Australia in 1959, this is a jazzy affair with Frankie singing some of his biggest hits: "Just One Of Those Things", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Come Fly With Me", and twelve other tunes. He is accompanied by the Red Norvo Quintet, Mr. Norvo leading the band on the vibraphone. While the sound quality is just so-so, the performance isn't. (Hmmm... #7)

(*)Sinatra In The Sixties - CD (Virtuoso)
This disc is a 22-track compilation of some of Frankie's finest performances from the 60's. On a few tracks he is accompanied by some of his Rat Pack buddies. Sammy and Frank do a medley of tunes that lasts about seven minutes. Among the songs you'll find here are: "Ol' MacDonald", "A Foggy Day", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Luck Be A Lady", and "It Was A Very Good Year." (Hmmm... #7)

(*)Strangers In The Night (Reprise)
This is Frank at his cheesiest. Some tracks here need no explanation, such as "Summer Wind", "Strangers In The Night", and "All Or Nothing At All". I think I could listen to "Summer Wind" 100 times in a row without getting sick of it. Another gem on this LP is his fine cover of "Downtown", slurring something unintelligible each time he sings the word downtown. Finally, on "You're Driving Me Crazy!" he slips on the words but keeps going. Hell, he probably had a date at the casino with Drunky Dean and Sammy and couldn't stick around for another take! (Hmmm... #5)

(*)Swing Easy!/Songs For Young Lovers (Capitol)
These albums originally released as 10" records are among the best Sinatra ever recorded. It was great to find them combined onto one LP. This is Sinatra in his prime, accompanied by the arrangements of Nelson Riddle. Whether you've heard of them or not, all sixteen cuts on this album are classics. Songs you may have heard include: "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "All Of Me", "Jeepers Creepers", "Just One Of Those Things", "My Funny Valentine", and "A Foggy Day". This is an essential Sinatra purchase. (Hmmm... #7)

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