What Frank Sinatra Have You Been Listening To Lately?

Just spinning some Sinatra this evening and decided to make a Sinatra listening thread.
Today I spun an original "The Concert Sinatra" 1963 mono vinyl. Share your Sinatra listening experience on this thread and knowledge of the recording if you wish.


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At a Capitol Records recording session in Los Angeles, circa 1957.

 

I recently made a playlist from my ripped CD's and enjoyed it an awful lot. I own the bulk of his 1955-1984 releases, only missing Some Nice Things I've Missed and The Man and His Music. Especially enjoyed what I heard off the Swingin' Brass album. He had quite a busy 1962! Six albums, all of them slightly different to one another; truly an artist with a penchant of making albums that each carry a theme, even if some might seem put together at last minute.

 

I have been listening to concert's. Yesterday I played the Box set " New York " in particular the United Nations concert with Skitch Henderson on piano.
Too bad Sinatra never made a piano only, or trio only LP, like Tony Bennett made with Bill Evans. I know, or should say I have heard that there is a tape
of Sinatra singing with Errol Garner it is in the Jimmy Van Heusen at UCLA. Boy what I wouldn't pay for a copy of that tape.

 

I had a playlist of music I have from the 50's on in the car the last couple of days and heard quite a bit of Frank. I think the last I heard was from Where Are You.

 

Nope.

 

Listening as we speak. I'm into the Reprise Years right now. Not as consistent as the Capitol years, but I like the arrangements from the early to mid 60's with Nelson Riddle a little better than the 50's albums. "Old Devil Moon" from 1963 outshines the 1956 recording....IMO.

 

I have always actually liked his early 60's re-recordings more than the 50's versions, especially those on the
1963 album "Sinatra's Sinatra". Nelson Riddle conducting/arranging, in fantastic stereo, and Frank in fabulous
voice. Especially "I've Got You Under My Skin"...a remarkable and classic version.

 

I had the Ellington lp/fiasco in the car this week.
Man, what this could have been. And even what was finally finished had its great moments, especially side one.
I just love Come Back to Me. Frank just tears into it and finally blows the ending, but you just know he finished that take and "ENOUGH. I'm going to the bar!"

 

The "Francis A. and Edward K" album from 1968 is a terrific LP, if that's what you're referring to. While not
as great as the albums he did with Basie in the early 60's, it's still a terrific listen. I bought it in 1968, and loved
it as much as many other Sinatra lp's from the 60's. Ellington's band at the time was sensational.
Here's a review...
"Recorded on Sinatra's birthday in 1967, this collaboration between America's most popular singing icon and pre-eminent jazz composer still endures as one of Sinatra's most enjoyable Reprise-era albums. The Ellington Orchestra stretches out in style, with the five-man horn section (including trumpeter Cootie Williams and saxophonist Johnny Hodges) expertly counterpointing the Chairman's assured vocalizations on "All I Need Is the Girl," "Follow Me" and Ellington's "I Like the Sunrise." Bobby Hebb's "Sunny" works surprisingly well (Sinatra sounds as if he's singing it to Frank Jr.), and "Indian Summer" is heart-stoppingly lovely. Francis A. & Edward K offers ample proof that, provided with properly challenging material, Sinatra could still astound and amaze. Sadly, the record sold poorly, presaging a move towards poppier pastures. --Dan Epstein "

 

An all encompassing 4 disc set. Most of it a treat. Opens with All Or Nothing At All and doesn't get any better.

 

All Or Nothing At All is so mystical and magical sounding. Young Sinatra amazing.

 

Last night I listened to the sacd of Where Are You. Absolutely love that album. A desert island album for me!!

 

Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings

 

Listened to Watertown again just last week. Next foray is likely a live album.

 

I've been a Sinatra fan for almost 30 years and I absolutely can't get into his Columbia era. Everything is mid tempo, or slower , and his voice is too high for my liking.

Once Ava broke his heart things improved

 

The Capitol Box

 

While I usually hate threads like this(thinking I would start one titled:"what song are you listeni...too,late,what are you listenin..oops,too late,what is-oh,hell, what are you going to listen to in five seconds? How about your afterlife listening?) but the reality is I have been listening to a bit more of Frank than usual. Picked up the most recent Sony Christmas collection at Big Lots' 75% off(so now I have 4 versions of the Columbia Christmas stuff),a handful of Capitol CDs in a buck bin,the Christmas:Icon CD and a Dorsey/Sinatra ballad collection for Valentine's Day,all for about five bucks total.

 

We had a discussion about the recording of this album several years ago, and perhaps you may find it kind of interesting (or not): Francis A. & Edward K. (Sinatra - Ellington album) Mono Question

 

A friend gave me a copy of the 2017 "Sinatra/Jobim" LP reissue recently, and I finally got the chance to spin it last night. There's some really nasty distortion in the second half of "Ipanema", but otherwise I think it sounds lovely. Better than my original stereo copy? Well, arguably not, but why even get into that; I'd just forgotten how beautiful the album is. "Dindi" is gorgeous beyond words.

I've also been listening to "No One Cares" a lot lately. God is that album underrated. Also spun the 2016 "A Swingin' Affair" LP last week (sourced from the MFSL CD, right?) and was stunned by the sound.

 

Sinatra '65 & The World We Knew

 

I played ‘Songs for Young Lovers,’ ‘Swing Easy,’ and the 1955 version of ‘The Voice’ for the first time the other night.

 

I normally buy myself a new Sinatra album each December...have done so for the past 29 years....up until last year.......it was only in January of this year that I realised I hadn't bought one in December...completely forgot...too busy listening to that Kate Bush woman.

 

I just picked up Come Dance With Me! and Come Swing With Me! recently. I really dig the Billy May stuff.