The Beautiful voice of Frank Sinatra

and he had some wonderful pieces to work with

ain't nobody writing them like cole porter anymore

frank's take on under my skin and night and day, wonderful

I'll just curl up here as one who doesn't want to hear his voice even one more time. Not sure if that is from surfeit (that can happen) or simple distaste. I didn't always hate his voice. It was the 13,423rd rendition.

Oh, he married the daughter of friends of my parents. I rather liked what I knew of them, young as I was, and don't want to go exploring on that. Just to say, uh, he was a guy. Maybe a user, or maybe in the opposite direction, I don't know.

But all of these folks are and were real people, not just intenet toy folk.

Frank Sinatra was one of the very best entertainers I've ever seen. He loved the audience, loved the music and wanted it to be as perfect as possible without losing the vitality of each song. That, I think, is the difference between Frank and Mel Torme, The Velvet Fog. Torme was wonderful and I loved his singing most times, but he was tiring after a few ballads. Frank was alive with every beat and phrase. He lived the song, flowed with it, as he sang it.

One of my standards for choosing a favorite performer or group is the enjoyment the performers get out of performing--whether singing, acting, anything. Nelson Riddle, Count Basie were two of the conductors who added their heart to the beat of the song. Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis were two who lived in the music. They also were not very nice men, but that has nothing to do with their talent.

I've been known to keep driving even when late for work if I am listening to something that captures me in such a way that I can't stop until it is over. Even then, I need a little time to calm down and catch my breath.
One time, listening to Basie, I realized that I was going 95 miles an hour. Thank Gawd there weren't any cops around!!!

Diane, Well stated. The artist's skills has not much to do with their character or lifestyle. It's the same way with Tom Cruise; a very good actor, but his personal life seems to be tied up with nutty religious beliefs.

Hah, C.I. That was an understatement about nutty religious beliefs. Too weird.

Well, I don't get him as an actor either (has no one who says he's a good actor ever seen acting?)


Well, ms. snippy does agree re driving past destination, for music, for sure.

Listen here.......

uh oh, that might have been Eddie Harris... but I remember it as Herbie Mann..

The question at hand is whether technique and heart can merge and in Frank they do not overly; take away all his writers, orchestraters, arrangers, studio musicians, promoters, agents, haberdashery support staff, etc and you have an OK voice with an OK range; lounge lizard personified.

At least Willy Nelson (whom I like about equally) can play an instrument, did a decent amount of his own writing, and has a voice about on par technically with Frank. I still like Frank but I would not classify him as a musician in the complete sense of the word. Popular entertainer sure.

There are lots of technically superb singers, who are also complete musicians in the sense that they can play an instrument very well and can write their own material, and also have gobs of soul.

Frank makes the grade in some aspects, and flops in others.

Sinatra did some pretty good acting in at least a few films. He also did the Rat Pack stuff, where he and the others merely strolled through a movie in fun.

Finally, ol' chumly, I can agree with you on something.

So, WHO DO you LIKE???

Oh, wait, I'll agree Sinatra wasn't a poor actor, indeed not so bad. I was talking about Cruise.

Oh. Cruise has the range of a wooden puppet.

But was it Eddie Harris who did Listen Here, or Herbie Mann...


I know, I'm slippery.

As a musician (weekend warrior only) I am of three minds:

If I put the critical / technical aspect in my back pocket then I'll appreciate A)

If I can't or won't then I'll appreciate B)

If I end up having the two (potentially conflicting views) in my head at the same time then I'll appreciate C)

a) Willie Nelson, BB King, Frank
b) Frank Zappa, Glenn gould, Chris Squire
c) Chamber music, Cool Jazz

To be honest I don't often know what I am going to like until I am actually listening to it, and over the last while I have listened to everything from the Black Eyed Peas to Early Brubeck. It's great fun to be surprised and to keep an open mind for new things.

If I had to say what specific stylings I am most likely to dislike, that would pertain to tunes using too much dynamics processing, not played together in real time, sequenced up in the land of software using sampling, modeling, looping etc, reliance on effects processors, and the fix-it-in-the mix mentality of Digital Audio Workstations. In fact all the things that Frank would have disliked too no doubt!

As a guitarist, I can say it's pretty hard to beat the greats whether that be Santana or Segovia.

There is no right or wrong to any of this mess, except to say that from a purely technical perspective certain assessments can be made, but technical expertise is not an end unto itself as CI will be quick to point out, nevertheless technical expertise can make an interesting basis for comparison.

And you?



Oh I love early instrumental guitar surf tunes, Dick Dale.........it's a guitar / guy thing!

Oh I've been going to the series of concerts put on by the "West Coast Camber Music"... I like.

I'll sign up as the person with no pitch at all, never mind perfect.

I like what I like.

Segovia, sure, and what's his name, Bream, with the lute.

Almeida, but that is because I heard him a few times.

I liked Gabor Szabo for quite a while and then I got tired of the sound.

Horowitz, not so much that I picked him over decades of other pianists, but that an album of a concert he did mid war got to me.

Whoever did Tequila..

Lot of folks have made me cry for the piquance, will try to come back with a list.

I'm yet another of the legion of L. Cohen fans.

Since all that, I've been listening to classical this and that.

Most immediate -


Callas - La Divina 2 -

Gluck... Alceste

and Gluck,
Orphee et Eurydice

Nice stuff, good for you!

Some may scoff, but George Michael has an amazing set of pipes. Doesn't mean I wanna listen to him but I'll give credit where credit is due

As an aside, believe it or no, some older movies have really nicely orchestrated and executed sound tracks.

I don't think it's necessary for a singer to be able to play an instrument or write music to be considered a good singer. We're talking about singing, not overall musicianship. Prior to the sixties, few singers did anything but sing.

What it boils down to is personal taste, whether it applies to singing, composing, playing an instrument, painting, writing, etc. Either something touches you or it doesn't. You like it, or you don't.

I like Frank. Osso, you don't. Can't argue with that.

I agree I won't argue with you on that, Roberta. Would that we could argue out loud in person. In the meantime, I'll go along and say we can't argue.

Plus, backing up, most on this thread really appreciate Sinatra. I'll stop being so obnoxious.