Sinatra's Swingin' Session - A Great Introduction to Frank

[Nick Danger]

For those of you who are discovering classic jazz and the great vocalists of that era, no collection is complete without some Frank Sinatra. If you aren't sure where to start, I'd strongly recommend "Sinatra's Swingin' Session", a 1961 recording with the Nelson Riddle orchestra.



This was one of Frank's last sessions for Capitol Records, and captures Sinatra at the peak of his career. More than just a great voice, in later years Sinatra had matured into a subtle and original interpreter of songs. His phrasing is so natural you'd think the tunes were written just for him. You may know some of these songs from the recordings of other artists, but it's hard to top Frank's versions.

The original LP, now available on CD with some bonus tracks, includes the following songs:

"When You're Smiling" (Mark Fisher, Joe Goodwin, Larry Shay)
"Blue Moon" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
"S'Posin'" (Paul Denniker, Andy Razaf)
"It All Depends on You" (B.G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, Ray Henderson)
"It's Only a Paper Moon" (Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg, Billy Rose)
"My Blue Heaven" (Walter Donaldson, George A. Whiting)
"Should I?" (Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown)
"September in the Rain" (Harry Warren, Al Dubin)
"Always" (Irving Berlin)
"I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me" (Clarence Gaskill, Jimmy McHugh)
"I Concentrate on You" (Cole Porter)
"You Do Something to Me" (Cole Porter)

If you only want one Sinatra CD to fill out your collection, "Sinatra's Swingin' Session" is an excellent choice.

Nick

 

[mikelz777]

It would really be hard to choose just one Sinatra record. His Capitol Records years were nothing short of a gold mine of wonderful albums. Whether he was up and swingin' or sad and brooding, he was a master of phrasing and interpretation.

 

[Graybeard57]

It would really be hard to choose just one Sinatra record. His Capitol Records years were nothing short of a gold mine of wonderful albums. Whether he was up and swingin' or sad and brooding, he was a master of phrasing and interpretation.

Love the record. IMO, ALL Sinatra & Nelson Riddle collaborations are flawless, each note perfect. Love them all!

 

[lindyhop66]

Sinatra's other arrangers/orchestra leaders produced some terrific albums. Billy May is my favorite. Come Fly With Dance with Me and several others.

 

[JM]

I was listening to it yesterday at work. Great collection of songs.

 

[Graybeard57]

Sinatra's other arrangers/orchestra leaders produced some terrific albums. Billy May is my favorite. Come Fly With Dance with Me and several others.

Agreed. Did not mean to dismiss the others. I enjoy them, but the Riddles' happen to be my favorite. IMO, Sinatra did not put out a bad record. From what I've read, he was a perfectionist with both the music and his voice. Definitely in a class all his own.

 

[mikelz777]

Here's a gem you don't often hear about:



Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

 

[Nick Danger]

Here's a favorite cut of mine from Sinatra's Swingin' Session:

 

[johnniegold]

This one is a great one, no doubt. As for The Man's collaborative efforts, every one of them is stellar:

Sinatra - Basie
Sinatra - Ellington
Sinatra - Jobim

The Jobim collaboration is probably my favorite outing. Every song is a gem.
The Capitol albums are indeed an incredible body of work. The Reprise albums are great as well, but they start to get spotty by the mid to late Sixties.

 

[WesternModern]

Happy Frank--Songs For Swingin' Lovers (with Nelson Riddle)
Sad Frank--No One Cares (with Gordon Jenkins)

 

[Nick Danger]

Another thing that is noteworthy about the Sinatra / Nelson Riddle sessions for Capitol Records is the presence of trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison.

Nelson Riddle brought in Edison specifically to fill the spaces between Sinatra's words and phrases. Edison is not playing solos; he's providing a little sassy counterpoint to Frank. His contributions have been characterized as coming in three musical flavors: "Beep", "Beep Beep" and "Beep Beep Beep". Sounds simple, but those 1-3 notes, perfectly timed, are part of what makes these Sinatra / Nelson Riddle recordings so special. Keep your ears open the next time you're listening to albums from that period, and you may hear "Sweets" Edison.

Nick