5 Stars Is Not Enough For Ol' Blue Eyes

I've been a fan of Frank Sinatra ever since I first heard him. His range, his power, his emotion, his way of making a song his, all testify to his status as a supreme vocal musician..

While I have plenty of Sinatra recordings, dating back to high school (One of my youthful accomplishments was swapping my father an Al Hirt album for Sinatra-Basie - poor Dad!), this was a recent addition to my collection, as it was on clearance from the Columbia Music Club.

This particular CD is a reissue of an album first issued on Capitol Records. It was recorded mostly in January 1956, with one cut recorded in October 1955. Sinatra is accompanied by a big band with strings, led by Nelson Riddle, who also arranged the music. The liner notes mention that Riddle started working with Sinatra in a recording session in April 1953 and conducted and arranged 2/3rds of Sinatra's 300 recordings on the Capitol label. It mentions the special association that Riddle had with Sinatra and their collaborative magic is clearly evident.

Sinatra's performances here are great. He is on top of his game vocally, with great interpretation and communication. The band and arrangements are very supportive and includes some fairly unusual colors, such as flutes and alto flutes, clarinets and, I think, a xylophone. The supporting musicians are uncredited, but I imagine that they were among the best studio musicians of the time. The songs are a stirring combination of mostly familiar tunes at swinging (medium) tempos.

Plus, Sinatra was a real part of our courtship. My wife and I were dating in the late 70's, and there was a radio show every Saturday during the early evening called "Saturday With Sinatra". There is no doubt that Frank helped get us together. Later, in 1984 I believe, my wife and I saw him live. Even though his voice had begun to lose a slight amount of power, his stage presence and control of the audience was incredible. That was a special concert.

So, I have a lot of reasons to like Sinatra. This CD is clearly enjoyable from start to finish. The All Music Guide gave this 5 stars and, for once, I agree with them, except that 5 stars is not enough.

I recommend this CD to anybody who likes vocal swing and jazz. This CD literally is a romance mix. Grab a bottle of wine, some hors d'oeuvres and your sweetie and get ready for love!

Cut list:
You Make Me Feel So Young
It Happened In Monterrey
You're Getting To be A Habit With Me
You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
Too Marvelous For Words
Old Devil Moon
Pennies From Heaven
Love Is Here To Stay
I've Got You Under My Skin
I Thought About You
We'll Be Together Again
Makin' Whoopee
Swingin' Down The Lane
Anything Goes
How About You?

This CD is in print and is on clearance at the Columbia Music Club. It is also available from other online vendors.

Thanks for reading...God bless!