[SinatraFan]

Thanks for the bump, Marty. I'm listening to this album right and Neal Hefti's arrangements are excellent!

This CD makes me want to dance!

[Gregory]

I'm playing it too, in memory of Neal Hefti.

[SinatraFan]

Anniversary bump: April 10-11, 1962

[Nick_Bradley78]

One of my favourite albums, and has been since I first heard it.

Got a strange story associated with it; the husband of a friend of mine at my old workplace is an undertaker (a good laugh believe it or not!) and he was booked to arrange a funeral for a lady who had died, she had specifically requested "Aint She Sweet" by Sinatra but her widower couldnt find a CD and the crematorium didnt have the facilities to hook up an LP. Knowing my rather large FS collection, the undertaker asked me if I had a copy on CD, which I provided, ensuring the lady was played out in cheery style.

Was certainly an original request and an original song choice for such an occasion!

[sschweiger]

A dear, dear man. I was introduced to Mr. Hefti by Charlie Morse, the manager of Sam Goody's in Paramus, NJ. Charlie was the father of musical star Robert Morse (How To Succeed, etc.). In those days, I spent all of my baby sitting earnings on records (FS, Basie, Ella, Louis, the Verve jazz greats).

I stopped at Goody's every Saturday, either to buy something or just kibbitz with Charlie. He always used to say that I was "too young to know about this music." On this particular Saturday, Charlie was speaking to a man he had known for many years. He introduced his friend, saying "Stanley, this is Mr. Hefti, and he's a real-live genius!" I knew Mr. Hefti was writing those fabulous arrangements for the Basie band, and I was 'dumb-struck!' He said he was in NY to visit Mr. Basie, who was appearing at The Embers.

Luckily, Goody's got very busy and Charlie had to help some customers. I spent about a half-hour chatting with Mr. Hefti, and it was a thrill. He was so nice. When Charlie came over and told Mr. Hefti that I was eleven years old, I thought he was going to have a heart attack!

When I hear "...Brass" and what Frank does with "Dontcha Go Away Mad," "Long Last Love," "I Love You," "Tangerine," and the other wonderful tracks, I'm back in Sam Goody's chatting with Charlie Morse, and meeting Neal Hefti!

[SinatraFan]

Nice story, Stanley!

[Jeffrey Simmons]

I said it before but Sinatra And Swinging Brass it is a super great album and it has some wonderful, wonderful charts.

I tell you whenever there is a cover version that I hear on TV of any of the songs which appear on this album, it is almost invariably the case that they use the exact arrangements copied from this album. They really do swing.

[Nancy]

they use the exact arrangements copied from this album

Are we supposed to be happy about that?

[RonnieC]

I'll never get enough of this album! It's just pure swingin' fun! I listen mostly to my copy in iTunes today, but I'm still nostalgic about my first introduction to this album during my childhood. Nothing compares to playing the original Reprise album with the gatefold and all of those bright colors giant sized on the cover! The cover painting is very memorable for me along with the fantastic music!

[Duncan]

I've always wondered who painted the tremendous cover to this album.

Can anyone tell me?

[Nick_Bradley78]

I believe it was by Jim Jonson (according to the CD Liner Notes, Im no art expert but a google search provided a few more of his paintings). It really looks awesome on the LP and EP cover.

From post #31 above:

Originally Posted by Bob

Great painting by Jim Jonson of a smiling FS.

Note: Jim Jonson has painted other Sinatra album covers as well. A forum search should turn up some references.

[Duncan]

Thanks. It's a great cover. Really captures the jazzy feel of the album.

[Josh]

I too love the cover! And for that matter the back of the LP has a very cool photo of !

Not to mention it features some of Frank's greatest up tempo numbers he recorded at Reprise.

[Ace917]

they use the exact arrangements copied from this album

Originally Posted by Nancy

Are we supposed to be happy about that?

"Copy" is the operative word here. A cover should be new and different, a little imagination, an inventive interpretation, a tribute to the original. A copy is just that, no clever, no genius, no tribute.

[Nancy]

Thanks for that, Ace. Nobody else seems to care about this thieving practice.

[Duncan]

But sadly it's rife. Many, many times I have heard other artists sing I've Got You Under My Skin or New York, New York with arrangements that are either exact copies - or so close to Mr Sinatra's that you can't tell.

Personally, I hate it. Ace you are right. For me the worse aspect is that it lessens the individuality of Mr Sinatra's recordings. Because new fans don't realise always that the arrangement was originally exclusive to Sinatra.

When you here that nitro to New York New York you should know that you are only going to hear Sinatra’s voice - but now it seems any old Tom, Dick or Harry can steal it.

A terrible shame.

[Steve]

Just getting into this one (and All Alone) as I have downloaded from iTunes. It does seem very different to other "swing" albums, but after a while it becomes very charming (Venus DeMilo indeed!).

[SinatraFan]

I agree. The arrangements by Neal Hefti give this album a unique feel and the overall sound is different from the other FS swing albums recorded around this time. It's been one of my favorites since I first heard it and I love the sound of the brass behind Frank. And this CD contains some of the best bonus tracks too, I especially like Nothing But The Best and Everybody's Twistin'.

[Jeffrey Simmons]

Definitely one of the best swing albums of all time. Amazing solos and incredibly fantastic arrangements which so often appear when other artists sing these songs on the radio or whatever even today. Frank was so "in the groove" for this album too. His voice was strong and clear and bouncy with joy.