MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
Gregg Field worked with the legendary singer for the last few years of Sinatra's professional career. In honor of Ol’ Blue Eyes’s 100th birthday, Field reflects back on both the good and the bad.
Comments
Not quite the same thing, but the movie Wrecking Crew covers a lot of backup musicians that made the 60s hits what they are, including Frank and Nancy's stunning Something Stupid and the drumming in Elvis' Vegas shows and music for his movies.
Read an interesting piece re Frank vs Bing Crosby who was much more successful than Frank - but Frank stays fresher, cooler. Tom Waits credits him for inventing the album concept in the 50's, forget which album, but the perfect one for making love (roughly that generation's Stairway to Heaven). Would be interesting to rate loss of virginity according to soundtracks throughout the years.
Edit: Tom Waits' complete list here.
by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 12/12/2015 - 8:10am
I'd think it rather hard to definitively rate, though a choice between Sinatra and Crosby might not stretch the imagination. At the time, crooning was certainly the thang, as they say, but the mob vibe behind the coolness trumped all. Still does. Not to mention that Sinatra owned his rep even as Bing's fantasy life eventually destroyed his.
by barefooted on Sat, 12/12/2015 - 2:12am
Nice article! In the early '30's, Bing Crosby and Russ Colombo were responsible for popularizing the Bel Canto style of singing. Sinatra was the young kid who came along ten years later to usurp the title of King of the Crooners. It's fascinating to compare all three. Each had their strengths. Sinatra's phrasing is impeccable and at times, even breathtaking. I don't think you can overstate how much these three changed the style of singing in popular music.
by MrSmith1 on Sat, 12/12/2015 - 8:40am
Thanks for this, barefooted.
My grandfather was a sideman and studio musician and he played with and for Sinatra, among others. Many Christmases ago, Frank sent him a present. It was a t-shirt that said:
To do is to be - Socrates
To be is to do - Plato
Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo - Sinatra
by Michael Maiello on Sat, 12/12/2015 - 4:08pm
Ha! How perfectly cool is that?
by barefooted on Sat, 12/12/2015 - 5:14pm
by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 12/13/2015 - 7:40am
Yeah, but a t-shirt gifted from The Old Man kinda blows the jokes out of the bathroom stall water.
by barefooted on Sun, 12/13/2015 - 9:56pm
Hmmm... Frank wearing a message on his t-shirt?
Can see him in straps with a 50's tank-top, his whiskey neat, maybe a Rueger in its holder...
Have had the song "Come Fly with Me..." in my head all day.
by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 12/13/2015 - 11:36pm
I was never a particular fan and never, before, had much of an opinion one way or another of him as a person, but here s a great tribute to Sinatra.
https://consortiumnews.com/2015/12/13/the-complex-legend-of-frank-sinatra/
by A Guy Called LULU on Sun, 12/13/2015 - 12:53pm
Thanks for that, Lulu.
by barefooted on Sun, 12/13/2015 - 10:18pm
A 1963 Playboy interview with Frank ...
by barefooted on Wed, 12/16/2015 - 10:58pm
by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 12/17/2015 - 1:46am