Search - Frank Sinatra :: Sinatra Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein

Sublime !!!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 06/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sinatra Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein features the wonderful, youthful voice of Frank Sinatra who attracted all those screaming bobby socksers back in the day! Frank sings wonderful, very special numbers by Rodgers and Hammerstein; and these songs are still very beautiful in our times. This is a great CD; and the sound quality is really rather good. The artwork is very nicely done.



"Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" has Frank singing this wonderfully with a backup chorus. Of course, Frank Sinatra never really needed backup singers but at that time it was the standard to use choruses and backup vocalists. Frank's voice is in perfect form and he never skips a beat! "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" comes from Oklahoma and it makes a very pleasing starter number for this album. "People Will Say We're In Love" is also from Oklahoma; and Frank massages the lyrics to this ballad like the pro he always was! Frank's talents knew no boundaries and his excellent diction bolsters his performance even more. One of my personal favorite tunes, "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top," has a great musical arrangement that uses the strings and brass to great advantage. Sinatra croons this song with panache and this is a major highlight of this album.



After another version of "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'," the CD continues on to have Frank singing "If I Loved You." "If I Loved You" charms me with its beauty and the woodwind instruments add a lot to this number. "If I Loved You" features Frank Sinatra squarely front and center--and that's all right with me! Frank sings this with all his heart and soul; and he swings ever so gently to create a fantastic rendition of this timeless ballad. There's also "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel; and this number has both a lush arrangement featuring the piano and Frank singing at his very best. Frank handles this very smoothly and it truly showcases his incredible talents as a singer.



"It Might as Well Be Spring" from State Fair strikes me as a song that Frank was born to sing; and this number is very special. Frank gives this a very sensitive treatment and his rendition of "It Might as Well Be Spring" is almost certainly THE definitive rendition of this song. "A Fellow Needs A Girl" is a song that so many people can identify with; and this is a very pretty tune. Frank sings this beautifully; and the music that accompanies him fits in perfectly with his vocals. "Younger Than Springtime" from South Pacific has a bit of background noise but this never truly interferes with the beauty of this music. Frank shows off the operatic qualities of his voice on numbers like "Younger Than Springtime;" and that's grand.



"Bali Ha'i" is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that has Frank singing with a chorus; and listen for "Hello, Young Lovers" from The King And I. "Hello, Young Lovers" was always one of my very favorite tunes by Rodgers and Hammerstein; and just one listen will tell you why! It's exquisite. The CD also ends strong with Frank Sinatra performing "I Whistle A Happy Tune" which also comes from The King And I. Frank outdoes even himself on this number and it leaves you wanting more.



Overall, this is a fantastic CD for Frank Sinatra fans and people who like show tunes, especially those by Rodgers and Hammerstein are sure to cherish this album for quite some while to come!

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