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NOTE: This page denotes some artists who walked the same paths as Sinatra, and acheived as great success, both popularly and critically, from the smoothness of Nat King Cole and Mel Torme, to the bright polish of Doris Day and Tony Bennett, these artists, while not directly comparable to Sinatra, worked with Frank, were friends with him, and have their own special place in the pantheon of popular music. If you've just discovered Sinatra, you may also want to listen to these fantastic singers. Nat King Cole: The World of Nat King Cole Capitol Records 74712 [CD]; Released January 25, 2005 
REVIEW: What more can be said about Nat King Cole than has already been said? His melancholy, rasping voice, so warm and friendly, his remarkable string of singles, and his distinctive vocal mannerisms and phrasings have endeard him to generations of music lovers, myself included. And while there have been innumerable greatest hits releases commemorating his artistry, this single-disc collection, appearing 40 years after Cole's death in 1965, can be counted as the best of them. Stuffed full with twenty-eight tracks, receiving sparkling new remasterings, and the booklet penned with loving attention by daughter Natalie, this is the place to start with an appeciation of the "King." It's important to know that though popularly classified as a "pop" singer, Cole was rooted in Jazz, starting out his career as a talented pianist in his own jazz trio. It wasn't until later in his career that he began to sing, and that his vocals, with his wide, open vowels and whisky and cigarette tones, took center stage. The CD is laid out mostly chronilogically, opening with the later smash hit "Smile" but then giving several of Cole's most popular recordings with his trio: "It's Only A Paper Moon," the self-penned "Straighten Up and Fly Right," and the seminal "Get Your Kicks (on Route 66)." These early songs show a looser, bouncier Cole, full of jazz moments and phrasing that still had a ways to go before it reached its zenith. But then comes the kicker - a lush ballad, "I Love You (for Sentimental Reasons)" wihch revealed to the world that Cole was an enormously talented interpreter of love songs. More followed: "Too Young," "Unforgettable," "When I Fall In Love," "Stardust," and "Mona Lisa." But Nat King Cole never completely abandoned his jazz roots, often stepping out to swing with "Orange Colored Sky," "Walking My Baby Back Home," "L-O-V-E," and a rippingly live performance of "Thou Swell" from a series at The Sands in Vegas. In all his recordings he imparted a smile to the sad songs, and radiated pure joy in the uptempo numbers; a remarkable trait that make every recording have a warm glow which still stands out while listening today. The album even has the good graces to include the smash hit duet "Unforgettable" paied with his daughter Natalie in a classy technical tour-de-force. 
REVIEW: Doris Day was a huge discovery for me. For years I considered her nothing more than the "eternal virgin" of a series of romantic comedies with Rock Hudson, and a reclusive star with a penchant for animals in her later years. But once I heard some of her early recordings with that voice, that voice! Well, it sent me just about as hard as when I first 'got' Sinatra. See, I've discovered that Doris Day had two voices. One, the one she developed for her film comedies and novelty songs, was a big, brassy, Merman-esque instrument which I simply can't abide. There are some albums which are ALL this kind of blaring cacophony. But her other voice - the one she made many records with - is all loveliness and trembling softness, with a little catch that makes it sound as if she's thisclose to breaking down and crying, that made me realize that this girl can really SING! Nevermind that she eventually became the archetype of the perfect mother, or that her hair eventually turned into a self-parody of the whole 60s "flip" thing. During the 1950s and early 60s Doris Day had one of the most meltingly beautiful tones in the whole wide world, and this two-disc collection captures a large chunk of her career, from her early break into big bands with Les Brown, to her being snagged by Columbia and put on the big screen. One listen to "It's Magic" will turn your head, and from there it's a short jaunt to other jewels like "That Old Feeling," "Again," "The Very Thought Of You," "My Romance," "There's A Rising Moon," "April In Paris," and "It Had To Be You." As well as these achingly lovely renditions, you'll also find several of the popular hits which she scored - "Move Over Darling," "Que Sera, Sera," "Pillow Talk" and many more. In fact, the one flaw in this set is that it isn't a true retrospective of her recording career, focusing more on her soundtrack output than her gems of albums, but it's all done with so much taste, and an accompanying booklet which is filled with wonderful notes and photos, that this album is a good place to start. But there are individual albums which are essential as well, such as Day By Day/Day By Night (two LPs onone CD), Sentimental Journey/Latin For Lovers , and What Every Girl Should Know/I Have Dreamed, all of which give ample evidence of the Golden Girl's golden voice.
REVIEW: Mel Torme has always had a tough time living down the nickname given to him early on in his career: "The Velvet Fog" - since his ultra-smooth baritone is indeed velvety soft and has a reassuring burr to the tone that can elevate his ballads into pure heaven. Torme can swing hard as well, and is also a composer of some note, having penned the immortal holiday classic "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)." But it's the nickname that's stuck with him throughout the years, and for good reason, as shown on this marvellous 1964 album released just prior to the British invasion. That's All is very like many of Sinatra's albums from a decade before: relying on songs cherry-picked from the great American songbook, "I've Got You Under My Skin," "That's All," "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?," "P.S. I Love You," "The Nearness Of You," "My Romance," and many more. Comparing the versions of these songs with Sinatra is a fascinating exercise, since Torme had a much stronger affinity with jazz stylings than Frank did, and his phrasing on songs like "I've Got You Under My Skin" take just as much liberty with tempos and bending notes than Frank did, but whereas Sinatra's looseness with the melody and tempo gave the songs a taut tension, nothing that Torme sings has that edge. His voice, with it's supple softness and breathy rasp makes every song here teddy-bear soft, and the rich arrangments, by Robert Mersey, simply drench the songs in strings, or the occasional solo piano entry (as on the lovely "Folks Who Live On The Hill"). The original twelve track album has been very generously filled out by the folks at Columbia/Legacy with an additional twelve tracks taken from various singles in the vaults, all of which match the tenuous, gentle mood that's set. The producers have even tacked on Torme's "Christmas Song" at the end, even though it, and the preceding holiday songs are a bit incongruous with the rest of the album. Fine, detailed notes accompany the booklet, and this album is a great place to start to hear the genius of Mel Torme.
REVIEW: OK, here's where I'm going to show just how old I really am. Growing up, I always had the impression that Dinah Shore was nothing more than a television talk-show host. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that she was first and foremost a singer - huh? But these two albums, recorded in the early 60s with Andre Previn, the first with Dinah and Andre on piano, the second album with a complete orchestra, is a real eye-opener. Although not blessed with as pure a voice as Doris Day, or without the jazz background of Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah is posessed of a voice which has a richly melodramatic tone, a vibrato that serves the song rather than detracts from it, and, at least on these two albums, sings song which are perfectly suited to her broken-hearted ingenue persona. If these albums have any particular jazz seasonings to them, you can blame it entirely on Previn, who's solo piano runs on the first album are very restrained and stylish, giving the entire album a smoky lounge flavor a several cuts above most acts. The songs here are mostly heartbreakers, with "The Man I Love," "That Old Feeling, "Then I'll Be Tired Of You," and "I'll Be Seeing You" playing perfectly into Dinah's wistful readings and Previn's spare accompainment. Other songs, like "If I Had You," "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "April In Paris" have a melancholy longing to them which never rises to the heights of elation, but skim the edges, giving the readings a nice tension. The second album paired here, Somebody Loves Me, is lighter, and with a richer texture than the previous album, given the added strings and subtle orchestra - but it's still thick with ballads, as track after track is given over to Dinah to highlight her wonderful, rich alto. If you find yourself captured by her voice as I was, you'll also want to check out other albums like Yes Indeed/Fabulous Hits of Dinah Shore, Dinah Sings Some Blues With Red/Dinah, and a fine compilation of her early hits: The Dinah Shore Collection: 1942-1948.
REVIEW: Tony Bennett is an interesting phenomenon in pop music: generally regarded as an excellent pop singer, with his cheery, somewhat edgy vocals and quick vibrato either driving off listeners, or endearing them to him, Bennett went for years without a recording contract, but has, in recent years, gained a growing critical and and a larger fan base than he ever enjoyed in his early career. This double disc retrospective is a fine introduction to Bennett's straight ahead pop style, showing him able to swing hard when called upon, but generally delivers extremely competent readings of songs which occasionally veer into operatic intenstity, such as the melodramatic "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams," "Who Can I Turn To?" or the Broadway smash "Stranger In Paradise." In fact, it's Bennett's song selection which lands him more in the Johnny Mathis or Andy Williams' camp than in Sinatra's, with soft popular songs like "Just In Time," "Smile," "Blue Velvet," " The Shadow Of Your Smile" and "My Favorite Things" hardly considered "essential" on any songwriting scale, but included in this concise overview of his entire career. In fact, it's interesting to watch Bennett's transformation from an earnest Italian crooner into a jazz cat in his later years, recasting himself in the Saloon singer mode, which is actually a big deptarture from his straight-ahead pop singer duties in the 1960s. Bennett began investigating Jazz arrangments and phrasing in the 1970s, when his star was on the wane, and so by the time he was rediscovered in the early 90s, the transformation was complete, giving Bennett access to critical plaudits from next-generation hipsters like Elvis Costello and k.d. lang (a duet with whom is featured on the final track.) Bennett doesn't mine the same emotional tracts as Sinatra, and his repetoire is about a decade removed from Frank's, but he's lasted a long time due to his artistry, canny sense of traditional music trends, and, let's be honest, to the intelligent handling of his image by his manager/son. For further listening, check out Perfectly Frank (his tribute to Sinatra), the electric live document At Carnegie Hall, and his collaboration with Count Basie, Basie Swings/Bennett Sings.
REVIEW: Keely Smith is one of the great unheralded songstresses of American popular music, and this long-overdue double disc package of two of her greatest albums on one CD is very welcome indeed. Long part of a popular husband/wife performing team with Louis Prima, Keely finally stepped out as a solo artist in 1957 with her debut I Wish You Love which showcased her powerful performing chops and unique sense of humor which she imbued many of her songs with. But it's on these later discs for Capitol, which paired her with Billy May (for Politely!) and Nelson Riddle (for Swingin' Pretty) that Keely's interpretive talents and over-abundance of charm play through. May brings his formidable brassy charts to the fore for Politely! giving each song a bright sunny polish which perfectly compliments Keely's shiny/happy vocals - especially noticable on "The Song Is You" which is a far sunnier reading than Sinatra's early Dorsey arrangment. This album isn't a swinger, like May's were for Frank, but it has a nice and easy bounce which Keely keeps nicely in step with coy readings of "On The Sunny Side Of The Street," and "I Can't Get Started." Keely is passionate on the ballads, with big-voiced readings of "I'll Never Smile Again" and "East of the Sun (And West Of The Moon)" and plays the sweet ingenue on "Cocktails for Two" and "S'posin'." On Swingin' Pretty, Nelson Riddle changes the mood with his unsurpassed orchestral colors, giving "It's Magic" a subtle chemistry, but able to swing large with lush brass sweeps on "It's Been A Long, Long Time." The dramatic changes of "It's Been A Long Long Time" and the patoral imagry on "Indian Love Call" are prototypical Riddle, and Keely's vocals are exceedingly confident and alternately brassy or sweet. Listen to her amazing slides and vocal growls on "What Is This Thing Called Love?" or the juicy vocal stylings of "The Man I Love" to hear lost treasure. This CD is a wonderful eye-opener for those who have never heard Keely's talent. Also, check out her latter-day Keely Sings Sinatra for a great tribute album to Frank.
REVIEW: Pity the poor singers who follow in the footsteps of the innovators. Vic Damone is another of those singers whose careers have been eclipsed by other artists, like Mel Torme, Tony Bennett and (of course) Sinatra. But although he hasn't gotten the ink which those others have, his talent and versatility is easily on par with them, and his voice, which is a smooth baritone, is fabulous, is perhaps less distinctive than the former artists. Perhaps that's why Vic Damone hasn't gotten the same accolades, but regardless, this CD, which gathers two of his finest LP's on one CD is an ideal introduction to his polished, exquisitely-produced albums, which mine the great American songbook, and receive interesting, often electrifying arrangments, which both swing and swoon, from the jaunty "Let's Fall In Love" to the somber "Speak Low," from the hot zing of "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street," to the cool shade of "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful," Vic really knows how to sing a song and make it sound fresh and alive. Vic isn't one to reinvent the wheel, and unlike Sinatra, his interpretations never reveal any hidden depths in the lyric, but you'll hardly mind as he moves easily from song to song, wearing each number as if it was tailor-made for him alone. I mean, if anyone can take the cornball sentiment of "Toot, Toot, Tootsie" (an old Al Jolson chestnut) and turn it into a brass and vibes swinger - that takes guts, and it comes off brilliantly. But there are other riches here, from the lullabye softness of "Wait 'Til You See Her," to the lilting Vienna waltz of "War and Peace," to the brass fanfares of "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)" and "Falling In Love with Love." His voice is all masculine charm and alternately warm and commanding tones. Great mood music, and just the drop in the bucket - check out these other albums as well: Linger Awhile/My Baby Loves To Swing, Closer Than A Kiss/This Game Of Love, and Why Can't I Walk Away/Stay With Me.
REVIEW: June Christy was known in her day as one of the school of 'cool' singers, those jazz sirens who sang with what sounded like an emotional detachment from the music, knocking out numbers with a careless ease which make listeners suspect the singers were singing for their own amusement, no one else's. This album, Somthing Cool is considered by many to be the pinnacle of this movement, containing supremely off-the-cuff readings of jazz standards with what sounds like consumate ease. Vocally, June Christy has a voice of smooth, polished bronze, with just a hint of a rasp, giving her singing a warmth and burr which eases the otherwise clear smoothness of her vocals. Christy sings with perfect control and pitch, bouncing up to notes, or sliding into them with an ease and clarity which is the benchmark of her talent. Peter Rugolo, an unheralded conductor/arranger, is the perfect accomplice with light, punchy charts that never think of overwhelming the singer, but have a jazz trio flavor which Christy pounces upon. Light on the strings, but cautious with the use of brass and woodwinds, the playing is always finger-light, and sympathetic to the needs of the singer. From the opening notes of the title track, to "It Could Happen to You" and the ice-cold ballad "I Should Care," Christy never lets her heart creep out onto her sleeve, even when she sings the bleak "Lonely House" or the alternately zinging "I'm Thrilled" with all the ardor of an iceberg. But that's not to say these songs aren't thrilling - Christy's perfectly etched techniques are too good to be lightly dismissed, and this album, along with others in her well-represented discography, are mini-masterpieces of the cool genre.
REVIEW: Jack Jones is very similar to Vic Damone in talent and style, blessed with a gorgeous baritone voice and sense of songcraft that, in one sense, surpasses Sinatra in sheer loveliness of tone; but closer examination shows that Frank remains the champ when it comes to breathing life into a lyric, and making a song his own. Jack Jones, like Damone and other singers, fall more closely into the range of Dick Haymes, singers who enrich songs with their innate sense of phrasing and natural talent, but unlike Sinatra, don't take it to the next level. These two LPs released in that golden era between the rise (and fall) of Elvis Presley, and before the suffocating entry of the Beatles onto American shores, are richly orchestrated mood pieces, perfect for the swinging bachelor, or just in creating effervescent soundscapes. Jack Jones' voice is wonderful - smooth, rich, and expressive, and he sings these ballads with all the knowledge of just how good he sounds. Strangely, there's alot of echo added to Jack's voice on the Wives and Lovers LP, but I'm assuming that's the way the original LP was mastered. The arrangments, by Pete Ling, Glenn Osser, Marty Paich and Ralph Carmichael, are all golden strings and muted brass - giving the album a sameness which let's each song melt into each other seamlessly, but also tends to make the album rather forgettable - none of the songs or arrangement jump out at the listener, it's all the sameness and consistancy of vanilla ice cream (reallllly rich and luscious vanilla ice cream). Frank could never sing an album like this, but then again, he wouldn't want to - he'd miss the snap and sparkle and drama of living the lyric, but no complaints here, Jack Jones is a marvellous singer, and he's given songs by Bacharach, Mercer, Mancini, Cahn/VanHeusen, and Deitz and Schwartz - in other words this is all good stuff. Best tracks include the thick jazz-like arrangment of "Come Rain Or Come Shine" with attention-getting trumpets and a cool, lounge-like piano accompianment and the easy swing of "You're Sensational" (which, I have to admit, is sung better than Frank - by miles). Other classic albums by this wonderful singer include: Where Love Has Gone/My Kind Of Town, She Loves Me & There's Love... . I own them all - they're that good.
REVIEW: Frank loved working with Billy May, and in some ways, I actually prefer Billy's charts to any other arrangers, since he's so up-front in his attitudes. There's something innately refreshing about the straightforwardness of a Billy May arrangment, with it's dramatic brass flourishes and thunderous rhythms. The crispness of his woodwinds compliment the bright, bouncing brass and the often grumbling lower instruments. It's great dance music, and these two discs, taken from 1951 and 1953 respectively, show the evolution of dance band music from the genteel Glenn Miller and mannered Tommy Dorsey into a heavier, more 'vulgar' direction, which I really enjoy. This is the insouciant big band which spawned Spy Jazz, Crime Jazz and the entire James Bond music rage later on, as well as what was imbibed by Frank Sinatra during his 1950s Capitol swing albums. There's some revolutionary stuff on here as well, from the maniac instrumental coo-coo-ga-gah found on "You're Driving Me Crazy" to the loose-limbed jive found on "Lean Baby" (a virtual copycat arrangment of Frank's first single for Capitol), or the ticking-bomb percussion found on "Perfidia" - all it's missing is some surf guitar and a martini (and perhaps a really cool car chase). Collector's Choice music should be applauded for rescuing these rare, out-of-print albums from dusty vinyl bins, as fans of Frank should eagerly snap these Capitol gems up. They've got attitude, verve, and a perponderance of style which just screams "Sinatra!" - all that's missing is The Voice. I would highly recommend checking out May's other solo platters: Big Fat Brass/Bill's Bag (love that title), Naughty Operetta/Plays For Fancy Dancin', and The Girls and Boys on Broadway/The Sweetest Swingin' Sounds of "No Strings." |
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