Search - Frank Sinatra :: Concert Sinatra

At the top of his game

"PWD" | West Chester, PA | 02/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's called "The Concert Sinatra" because of the size of the orchestra. It is not a "live" concert, but who cares. You've got great musicians, marvelous music selections, Nelson Riddle arrangements and a Frank Sinatra who's at the top of his game."

This one Grows on You

Peter G. Harris | San Francisco | 09/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all I am a huge Frank fan, ever since as a 6 year old boy I heard the Softly as I Leave You LP on my parents turntable in 1964. Frank was famous of course, but for some reason my parents only had this record, which was a promo copy and given to them by a radio guy who was our neighbor. I don't think most 1st graders would listen to this album, and it's not a great album, BUT there was something about the way he sang. 40 years later I've been picking up Frank's CDs since I was about 40, marveling at the greatness. When I first got The Concert Sinatra, I couldn't wait to hear it. But, actually I was disappointed. You see, if I was in a Frank mood, (which is most of the time) I wanted to hear the tunes I was singing in my head. I didn't know these songs, except Old Man River, which I thought was less thrilling than some live bootleg version I had from the 1950s. So, I put the CD away, and did not listen for about a year. Then I got into reading the Amazon reviews, and thought I would give it another try. Sometimes, you've got to just keep listening to something until it clicks. I now consider this to possibly be the greatest Frank record ever, which in my opinion would make it one of the great records by anyone ever. I won't describe it since others have done so well with their descriptions, but every song is the definitive version. I LOVE this CD."

"His Is The World of Art for Art's Sake"

Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 01/29/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

""We listen and we hear a new Sinatra, set to some of the purest arrangements we have ever heard....His is the world of art for art's sake. 'A Concert Sinatra' presents the best-known voice of our time in a new achievement of artistic purity and control, while Nelson Riddle's expansive arrangements are a reduction to that paradoxical amalgam of strength and delicacy, always subordinate to, and in support of, Sinatra's voice." ~ Lawrence D. Stewart ~



This 1963 Reprise recording is another impeccable collaboration between the proverbial match made in heaven - Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle, two of the most celebrated pairs the music world has ever known. Shortly before his death, the great arranger/conductor/orchestrator Nelson Riddle told Jonathan Schwartz that he "never saw Frank Sinatra so business-like and concentrated as he was for The Concert Sinatra."



Frank Sinatra was a legend, a musical icon known for his one-of-a-kind vocal artistry. Every single song he recorded turned into something beautiful like the songs in this album. Every fan of Sinatra as well as all the people whom he worked with knew how perfectionist he was when it comes to his recordings.



"Less is more." This is especially true with this recording, which is only about half an hour of listening time, but it is worth every second of it. Sinatra and Riddle selected eight songs from the pens of Rodgers, Hart, Hammerstein, Kern, Anderson, Weill and handled them with utmost care and love for the material and turned them into gems. I've never heard "I Have Dreamed" interpreted in the most captivating style until Frank Sinatra recorded it. Ditto with "You'll Never Walk Alone," "This Nearly Was Mine," "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered" and "My Heart Stood Still."



This was Sinatra at his prime. You could hear his impressive voice as it glides flawlessly over Nelson's exquisite arrangements. The material represents some of the most defining moments in Sinatra's recording history. His impeccable phrasing, Nelson's top-notch arrangements, and not to mention the choice of songs are the most significant factors to consider why this album belongs to the best ever Sinatra recordings not only in 1960s but for all-time.



Listen to this album and let your ears experience some of the most beautiful Sinatra sounds. It is definitely a keeper!



P.S. My never-ending, sincerest thanks to a friend of mine who provided me with this classic Sinatra recording that I always enjoy listening to.

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