[Marty]

Originally posted by Duncan
Can’t you just hear Frank brimming over with excitement during For Once In My Life? Hard to believe he recorded the song nearly 20 years earlier.
Those who say this is an album only for Sinatra aficionados are wrong.

Duncan, your comments are right on the money, especially with regards to "For Once In my Life", this for me typifies the entire album with regards to the overall quality of Sinatra's vocals. Maybe the collection isn't the landmark live album (for any genre of popular music) that "Sinatra At The Sands" was, but it's much more than just a historical document of the later Sinatra, it's Frank with an audience and material he seems completely at ease with, in a setting (I believe the Nugget auditorium was more akin to a small nightclub, the type of venue Sinatra remarked time and again he preferred) which provides the best opportunity for the older voice to provide us all with something very special.

There's enough familiar in the choice of material to be of interest as a first buy to those discovering Frank Sinatra, as well as being special enough to interest even those who think they have heard it all.

[steffen]

*** In Franks' own words: YEAH! ***

"I love to sing that song ... Yeah!" (For once in my life).
HE loves it, and that's the best that can happen to us: to his audience.

He loves singing here, and it transfers - he is in such a playful mood.

"So inventive", Frank calls Nelson Riddles' orchestration of 'Under my skin'. And isn't that the perfect decription of Sinatra himself on this recording? His approach is fresh. His long notes are cristal clear. The "growl" is placed masterfully. And he gives to each song that extra ounce of spice that makes this dish, this musical banquet so tasteful.

Don't you just love his alteration of the line "... there ain't no other way of life!"? This take of 'I've got the world on a string' sets the pace for the following evening.

He bites 'Mack the knife'. He soars on 'My heart stood still'. He laughs on 'I get a kick out of you'. And finally, he delivers the different ending on 'My way'. After a last and satisfyingly long celebration of 'New Yooork', we are left smiling.

And grateful that this evening has been preserved and made public now.

"THIS one - thiiis one is mine!"

*** I enjoyed the extended jazz sax on "Kick", I don't think anything like that has been committed to a recording before ****

Randy, you can find a similar sax solo played to Sinatra's version of "Kick" on the previously released April 1985 Tokio concert (Warner Video/DVD release "Sinatra In Japan"), and it's even played by the same alto saxophonist, Bob Pearson. To have this solo on the "Kick" track is outstanding, and it's one of the most grabbing things about this new release that we finally have this on a CD live album as well.

If anything, I think that Pearson's being the soloist should have been mentioned in the CD liner notes, that are rather elusive regarding orchestra personnel... for instance, there is no reference to Kenny Harkins (not Bill Miller!) being the pianist Sinatra duetted with on "The Girls I Never Kissed". Further solo work on the CD is by Gary Scott on tenor saxophone, and Bobby Scan on trumpet.

Steffen: Yes - you name several of the moments when the new album really shines. It's *alive*, in the true sense of the word.

Bernhard.

[Adam]

I cant wait until 30th may for the UK release so i've ordered this album and the Dean Martin album from amazon.com, its only a 2 - 4 working day delivery from the US.

And i managed to get them both with shipping for only £35.

Maybe a little more than i would have paid for both from amazon.co.uk, but i can cope with that just to get my hands on them!

Adam

Sid Mark played the track twice in succession on his Friday With Frank radio show last week in Philadelphia. After the first airing, Sid read a memo from the station management prohibiting the playing of any single song more than once during the course of a show. Sid then asked, "I wonder what Frank would do?" He then immediately launched another playing of Kick. I got a kick out of that!

[steffen]

hi bernhard,
i remember sinatra (in japan) introducing bob pearson; on this CD he says something like "yea Gary" at the end of the sax solo. Do you have an idea what/whom he could have meant?

[radioman]

The Gary in question is Gary Scott on tenor saxophone. Charlie Pignone, who produced the CD and also attended all the shows in DEC '86 at the Nugget, said all the guys in the band loved it when Frank would include the extended jazzier version of "I Get A Kick Out Of You".

It would have been amazing if Frank had done a series of jazzier albums in the 1980's. Much like the one's Rosemary Clooney recorded on Concord with people like Scottie Hamilton,Warren Vache, Jake Hanna and John Oddo........The possibilities seem almost endless.

All the best,

David

*** on this CD he says something like "yea Gary" at the end of the sax solo. Do you have an idea what/whom he could have meant? ***

Steffen, read my post prior to yours, I had already mentioned the fact that it is Gary Scott on tenor saxophone he is referring to.

The fact that the liner notes make no mention of either soloist (not Pearson, nor Scott or Harkins' wonderful piano solo) is one of the weak aspects of this album.

Bernhard.

[steffen]

hello bernhard,

sorry i overread the name of Gary Scott (tenor saxophone) in your post.

you also wrote that the similiar sax solo on the 1985 Tokio concert was "even played by the same alto saxophonist, Bob Pearson."

i do not really know the difference between tenor and alto saxophone.

Hi Steffen,

depending on how they are played, they may sound similar - I think the main difference is the range (and if you are able to see the band, of course they have a different size as well). Often the same saxophonists play both, alto and tenor sax, on sessions or concerts. (Would have to watch the Sinatra in Japan video again, but I think Pearson on that concert also switched instruments during its course).

I think Sinatra's voice merged especially well in Jazzy numbers with sax solos, starting from the great solo work on the first Basie album (Reprise), or later with Sam Butera in the 70s. Definitely a great thing to have such a new treatment of "Kick" on CD now. Sinatra started performing the song that way in the early 80s.

Bernhard.

[Ed Potts]

A good comparison would be to listen to the different horns as played by some of the greats,namely, Johnny Hodges, Paul Desmond, Cannonball Adderly on the alto. Then listen to Stan Getz, Ben Webster, Lester Young, on tenor.Then there`s the soprano and baritone sax. Bob Wilber played great soprano,Gerry Mulligan was great on the baritone.Then there`s the cat, Kenny G with the long hair,whatever!

[Newsdawg2002]

It shows a playful, relaxed FS doing what he does best---take an audience into the palm of his hands and guide them on a musical journey.

This guy could captivate a stadium full of people, but in my opinion, he always came across best in the smaller, more intimate showrooms like the Golden Nugget.

This recording of those shows proves that. He's in fine voice, good spirits, and it shines through on every note.

The fact it's a soundboard recording and not a full-blown live "with all the bells and whistles" of a full-fledged mobile recording facility is a minor issue. The charisma and charm of FS comes through, regardless.

The gentleman is a champ on this pressing.

*** The fact it's a soundboard recording and not a full-blown live "with all the bells and whistles" of a full-fledged mobile recording facility is a minor issue. ***

That's my opinion as well - it's the performance that matters, and Sinatra's performances on this CD are fantastic. A must have for anyone seriously interested in Sinatra's music.

Bernhard.

[Newsdawg2002]

My recording experiences are limited to the radio and television side of things, and certainly not live events, so maybe you can answer this for me, Bernhard;

What medium would they have used for a soundboard recording such as this? Reel to reel, given this was 1986? 3/4 inch tape or wider medium. This recording, no doubt enhanced and remastered, doesn't sound like a cassette soundboard recording---more on that later.

They wouldn't have had digital capability back then, and if they did, it would have been primitive in comparison to today. The technology today would enable one to make a studio-quality "bells and whistles" recording on a laptop computer and one would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.

I know, in researching some private label releases that the Elvis Presley Estate have put out, that their soundboard recordings of some of his concerts were taken from a cassette, and the audio quality confirms that. Those are put out on the Follow That Dream label by RCA/BMG, and are part of the Estate's fight to get bootleg Elvis recordings off the market by releasing them commercially.

I'm no expert on the technical sides of recording, Marlin, and I don't know what technical devices were used for recording Sinatra's shows on the December 27-31 Nugget engagement. Bootlegs from this engagement have existed for some time, maybe some of them were used for the Capitol mastering as well.

Also, it may depend on whether it was an "official soundboard recording" at the time, so to speak, or whether (which also happened with FS and other artists) some of the musicians had brought along some recording device and plugged the sound system.

Perhaps some of the CD producers can chime in here and tell us about what kind of types of source material/tapes they were using. Such information would be of value, I think, because the limits of the sound are noticeable on the product (also when you play it over headphones, sometimes FS "jumps" from left to right channel or vice versa during a stanza).

Whatever it was - it was worth the issueing, for sure!

Bernhard.

[Ronald Sarbo]

"Maybe some of them were used for the Capitol mastering as well"

Another subtle implication that bootlegging is a "good thing".

Let us not speculate. But stick to facts that can be proven.

No Ronald, I wasn't implying anything of the kind, that's but your reading. I only added that line that "maybe" (!) unofficially recordings were used, because that has happened in the past with two other official releases of Sinatra live material.

The one "good thing" this whole thread is all about, is the new live album, which is great.

Bernhard.

[Ronald Sarbo]

"That has happened in the past with two other official releases"

To my knowledge that has also never been proven conclusively.

The whole debate we are having here is the ongoing attempts by some to turn RUMORS into FACTS.

But of course that's only my "reading".

[Newsdawg2002]

Originally posted by bvo35
Perhaps some of the CD producers can chime in here and tell us about what kind of types of source material/tapes they were using. Such information would be of value, I think, because the limits of the sound are noticeable on the product (also when you play it over headphones, sometimes FS "jumps" from left to right channel or vice versa during a stanza).

Whatever it was - it was worth the issueing, for sure!

Bernhard.

That's what piqued my interest in the source material.

I bought the CD and downloaded to my IPOD and immediately noticed the channel jump on some of FS dialogue, so it makes me wonder what kind of tape medium they used; As you pointed out, this was a compilation from the overall engagement, so that may account for the "jumps" between stereo channels.

But you're spot on in the observation that it's definitely worth issuing. I've gotten so much entertainment out of this CD, just hearing FS on-stage in a showroom environment, a place he excelled at better than any other venue, in my opinion.

Marlin - yes, I'm in total agreement with your post.

Ronald, you write regarding 'unofficial recordings' having been used for official issues:

*** To my knowledge that has also never been proven conclusively.***

Steve Hoffman, who was in charge of the great DCC/Artanis remastering of "Seattle 1957", has said when questioned about it on his own forum, that he used a previous unofficial issue of the concert for his mastering job, and did not get back the original masters of the two Seattle shows by Wally Heider. Why should Hoffman tell the untruth?

The recordings of the two 1959 (March 31, two shows that evening) Melbourne/Australia concerts, of which the fantastic Capitol/Blue Note CD album was compiled, were at the time made 'semi-officially' at best, from what the man in charge for preserving the tapes, Bill Weeden, has frequently told as early as the 70s. Was he wrong, is that line-up not to be believed? Could always be so, of course, but so far I haven't encountered anyone who questioned it. And the official Capitol release's liner notes, with their erraneous remarks on the whole gig (Friedwald says there were shows on March 31 and April 1, which is not the case as all the reports and official advertising from the gig prove), are not dwelling upon the subject of source material at all.

Which brings me back to Marlin's post - especially if the result is a success, as in the case of the new Vegas CD, what's wrong with speculating about - or rather, asking for definitive answers about - the source tapes (be them boots or not), since the sound, and its limitations, somewhat reflects the diversity of the source tapes.

And finally, again: It's the *result* that matters, the quality of performance as heard on the product. Regarding my personal interest in Sinatra detail, I want to know the exact dates for each song on the new Vegas CD, for sure. But when simply rating the quality of performance, I couldn't care less about each song's origin so to speak - what I hear on the CD is GRAND, and that's that.

Bernhard.