Frank Sinatra. Vibrant, exciting and sublime. Frank Sinatra’s lasting musical legacy is his superlative recordings. In each episode Michael Fenenbock explores and illuminates an essential recording from Sinatra’s body of work. Nobody swings like Sinatra and nobody plumbs the depths of lost love in a song like Sinatra. He was a musical genius. The kind that only comes along once every hundred years. Sinatra matters.
All good things come to an end and this is “The Last Dance” for my Sinatra Matters podcast. But I'm beginning a new adventure on Substack – “Sinatra Matters and More.” I'll be writing, about Frank Sinatra and offering my personal, sometimes idiosyncratic, interpretations of musicians, favorite singers, songs, albums and classic jazz. I'll be including a YouTube link to the songs. Substack. “Sinatra Matters & More.” Join me. Subscribe to be notified of new posts. It's free. https://michaelfenenbock.substack.com/ Well, that's it for now. I do hope that you'll come along for the ride. Until then. Michael
Right now it's Autumn in New York, and so from the 1958 album Come Fly With Me, here is Frank Sinatra's rendition of the Vernon Duke classic. Arranged and conducted by Billy May. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra and Jobim. Here is Sinatra's delivery of Jobim's beautiful and moving How Insensitive. From the 1967 album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, with Normal Gimbel's English lyrics. Arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit ZangiSend comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Frank Sinatra's wonderful ballad rendition of Cole Porter's Night and Day. From the 1962 album Sinatra and Strings. Arranged and conducted by Don Costa. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Frank Sinatra's wonderful ballad rendition of Cole Porter's Night and Day. From the 1962 album Sinatra and Strings. Arranged and conducted by Don Costa. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle. From the 1954 album Swing Easy, here is Cole Porter's Just One of Those Things. It just doesn't get any better. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
From Rodgers and Hammerstein's “The King and I,” here is Frank Sinatra's sublime 1951 recording of We Kiss in a Shadow. Arranged and conducted by Axel Stordahl. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra and Billy May swing the Latin classic Brazil. From the 1958 album, Come Fly With Me, here is Ary Barroso's hugely popular Samba Brazil . . . with English lyrics by Bob Russell. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
A classic lost love ballad. From the 1955 album In the Wee Small Hours, Sinatra sings Alec Wilder's I'll Be Around. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Raucous Big Band jazz. Sinatra swings All or Nothing at All. From the 1966 album Strangers in the Night, here's the Arthur Altman/Jack Lawrence standard. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square. Sinatra in London. From the 1962 album Frank Sinatra Sings Great Songs of Great Britain, here is the Eric Maschwitz and Manning Sherwin classic. Arranged and conducted by Robert Farnon. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Arranged and conducted by the incomparable Nelson Riddle, from the 1966 album titled Strangers in the Night, here is Sinatra and Summer Wind. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
New York, New York. Here is Frank Sinatra's iconic classic. From the 1980 album, Trilogy, John Kander and Fred Ebb's Theme from New York, New York. Arranged and conducted by Don Costa. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
From his 1954 album In The Wee Small Hours, an enduring Sinatra classic, Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's Last Night When We Were Young. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit ZangiSend comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
From his 1954 album In The Wee Small Hours, an enduring Sinatra classic, Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's Last Night When We Were Young. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
One of Frank Sinatra's most celebrated recordings, from the 1956 album Songs For Swingin' Lovers, here is Cole Porter's I've Got You Under My Skin. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra's signature recording of Here's That Rainy Day. From his 1959 album No One Cares, here is the Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke classic. Arranged by Gordon Jenkins. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra's signature recording of Here's That Rainy Day. From his 1959 album No One Cares, here is thJimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke classic. Arranged by Gordon Jenkins. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Frank Sinatra's tribute to Tommy Dorsey. From his 1961 album I Remember Tommy, here is George Bassman and Ned Washington's I'm Getting Sentimental Over You. Arranged and conducted by Sy Oliver. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Here is the definitive recording of the Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane Christmas classic Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from the 1957 album A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra. Arranged and conducted by GordonJenkins. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
A song Sinatra did not record . . . but one that he might have embraced, Cole Porter's Dream Dancing. Here is the wonderfully talented Rebecca Luker from her 1996 album “Anything Goes - Rebecca Luker Sings Cole Porter.” Arranged by Larry Moore and conducted by Patrick Brady. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
A Sinatra classic, from the 1960 album of the same name, here is Lew Spence and Marilyn and Alan Bergman's Nice 'n' Easy. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra's poignant 1956 recording of P.S. I Love You. From the album Close to You, here is GordonJenkins and Johnny Mercer's classic romantic ballad. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Frank Sinatra's mastery of tempo. From the 1961 album Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!! here is Cole Porter's I Concentrate on You. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Frank Sinatra's extraordinary performance of Send In the Clowns. Recorded in 1976, here is the Stephen Sondheim classic. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra swings! Arranged by Billy May, here is The Song is You from Frank Sinatra's 1959 album Come Dance With Me. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
An update about the podcast. And a raucous Sinatra swinger. From the 1959 album Come Dance With Me, here is Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz's Dancing in the Dark. Arranged and conducted by Billy May. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra's singnature sound is impossible to imagine without the influence of jazz. Here is the Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart standard Blue Moon from the 1961 album Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
A swinging Sinatra classic. Here is Cole Porter's I Get A Kick Out Of You from the 1962 album Sinatra And Swingin' Brass. Arranged and conducted by Neil Hefti. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit ZangiSend comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra's mastery of legato phrasing. From the 1962 album Point of No Return, this is Eubie Blake and Andy Razaf's Memories of You. Arranged by Heinie Beau and conducted by Axel Stordahl. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
From the 1963 album Sinatra's Sinatra, here is Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn's Call Me Irresponsible. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra's epic comeback. From 1953, this is Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler's I've Got the World on a String. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra's wonderful recording of It Had To Be You, the Isham Jones/Gus Kahn classic, from his 1980 album Trilogy. Arranged and conducted by Billy May.
From the 1958 album Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely, here is Jule Steyn and Sammy Cahn's magnificent torch song Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry. Arranged by Nelson Riddle. Conducted by Felix Slatkin. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit ZangiSend comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra swings the Cole Porter classic, In the Still of the Night. From the 1961 album Ring-a-Ding-Ding!. Arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
From the 1963 album The Concert Sinatra, here is Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's Soliloquy from Carousel. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits:Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn SchlossEdited by Katie CaliMixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Don't Worry 'bout Me. Here is Frank Sinatra's marvelous 1953 recording of the Rube Bloom and Ted Koehler classic. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
From his 1961 album Point Of No Return, here is Frank Sinatra's poignant wartime ballad -- Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal's I'll Be Seeing You. Arranged and conducted by Axel Stordahl. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
From the 1959 album No One Cares, here is Willard Robison and Larry Conley's A Cottage for Sale. Arranged by Gordon Jenkins. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Swing Easy Sinatra. Here is George and Ira Gershwin's Love Walked In from the 1961 album Sinatra Swings. Arranged and conducted by Billy May. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Arguably Frank Sinatra's finest recording . . . from his 1957 album Where Are You?, here is the Leonard Bernstein, Adolph Green and Betty Comden classic, Lonely Town. Arranged and conducted by Gordon Jenkins. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Here is Miss Peggy Lee's definitive recording of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's often underappreciated classic, The Folks Who Live On the Hill. Arranged by Nelson Riddle. Conducted by Frank Sinatra. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Sinatra's poignant reading of this wonderful classic remains one of his most profound recordings. From his 1961 album Sinatra and Strings, here is Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish's Stardust. Arranged and conducted by Don Costa. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Here is Frank Sinatra, accompanied by the sublime Hollywood String Quartet. From his 1956 album Close to You, this is Matt Dennis and Tom Adair's wonderful jazz standard, Everything Happens to Me. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
A Great American Songbook classic. From Frank Sinatra's 1956 album A Swingin' Affair!, here is Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields' I Won't Dance. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
For the Greatest Generation, no other song could match Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade. From Frank Sinatra's 1956 album Moonlight Sinatra, here is his definitive recording of this iconic song. Lyrics by Mitchell Parish. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Unleashed musical imagination from Frank Sinatra. Here is Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler's Let's Fall in Love from Sinatra's 1961 album Ring-a-Ding-Ding!. Arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
Nobody sings of lost love and longing like Frank Sinatra. Nobody. From Sinatra's 1955 album In the Wee Small Hours, here is Hoagy Carmichael's enduring classic I Get Along Without You Very Well. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
From his 1957 album A Swingin' Affair, here is Frank Sinatra's classic recording of The Lady is a Tramp. Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart. Arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi
Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim – Bossa Nova. A magical collaboration. From the 1967 album, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, here is The Girl from Ipanema. Music by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Portuguese lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes , English lyrics by Norman Gimbel. Arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Mixing and mastering by Amit Zangi Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com
This is what all the fuss is about . . . here is Frank Sinatra at his ballad singing best. From the 1959 album No One Cares, Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Kahn's classic torch song, When No One Cares. Arranged and conducted by Gordon Jenkins. Credits: Theme music by Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss Edited by Katie Cali Send comments to sinatramatters@gmail.com