“Now this man here is gonna take me by the hand and he gonna lead me done the right path to righteousness and all that other mother jazz in the right tempo…”
Probably my most preferred Frank Sinatra era is the 1950s and1960s. Okay, his earlier stuff is sublime and showcases that he is hands down one of the greatest singers ever in any walk of life or music bread line. He is probably my number two, behind Aretha (see AOTD 287), on my all-time singers’ list. But I like this period for Sinatra; even as he aged, he could still deliver a lyric like no one else, and his charismatic charms still permeated the music. This is especially true for this album, a live performance recorded at the Sands Casino in Las Vegas, NV, in early 1966. Sinatra is the center of the universe in the Copa Room. He knows it and loves it. And why not, its Sinatra. Pour me another drink, please. That’s what makes “Sinatra at the Sands” such a beloved Frank LP for me, it has everything I want: Sinatra is larger than life; he swings, he swoons, he sails, he flies to the moon. He delivers poignant ballads with an intensity that, at the same time, is both controlled and loose, or he flips the switch and your are hoppin and boppin along with the glorious music. Speaking of the music, it would be rude if I didn’t give major shout-outs to the other legends that share the stage with Sinatra. First and foremost, the none other than, Count Basie and the Orchestra is Sinatra’s backing band. I said Count Basie, people (see AOTD 7). Quincy Jones is the orchestra’s conductor and arranger and Harry “Sweets” Edison leads the trumpet section. Now those some bad ass cats right there. Just as fabled as Jones, Edison, Basie and Sinatra, the composers of the evening’s selection are icons of the American Songbook: Cole Porter, Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, Bart Howard, George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe, and Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. Now that we have rolled the opening credits, let’s get back to the show. Before I give nod to all the great numbers Sinatra sings, he does take a turn on the mic as a comedian. The nearly 12 minute Sinatra monologue is called The Tea Break on the record. He quips, “I hope that you are having an enjoyable stay here in Las Vegas and also hope that you have been fortunate, I do wish that for you. I can’t say the same for Mr. Basie and myself because we run into a streak of bad luck. Sunday we went up to the Grand Canyon and it was closed. And last year we invested a bundle of money in a pumpkin farm and then they called off Halloween…” He also mentions his pal Dean, “The question most asked of me is does Dean Martin really drink. Well I can contest to that fact, he’s a drunk. He is absolutely, an unqualified drunk. And if we ever develop an Olympic drinking team, he is gonna be the coach.” Pretty funny stuff. Of course the real highlights are the wonderful tunes Sinatra sings: You Make Me Feel so Young, Makin’ Whoopee, Angel Eyes, Fly Me to the Moon, I’ve Got a Crush on You, It Was a Very Good Year, Come Fly with Me, The Shadow of Your Smile, Get Me to the Church on Time, Where or When, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) and My Kind of Town. And you know Sinatra, he nails all of them.
If your ears can hear Frank Sinatra then consider yourself as lucky as the lady in Luck be a Lady Tonight. He was as good as good can be plus some. And whatever your musical poison, don’t let yourself get to far away from Sinatra. If you do, the dealer will start drawing to 21 and you will go broke.
*Frank Sinatra – vocals
Count Basie – piano
Bill Miller – piano
The Count Basie Orchestra:
Quincy Jones – arranger, conductor
trumpets: Harry “Sweets” Edison, Al Aarons, Sonny Cohn, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau
trombones: Al Grey, Henderson Chambers, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes
alto saxophones: Marshall Royal, Bobby Plater
tenor saxophones: Eric Dixon, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis
Charlie Fowlkes – baritone saxophone
Freddie Green – guitar
Norman Keenan – double bass
Sonny Payne – drums
365, Album of the Day 2014 