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available January 16, 2012
Emboldened by Riddle’s majestic arrangements (in which he eschews the swingin’ sound identified with him in favor of a lush, rich palette suitable for these ballads), Sinatra turned out some of his most powerful vocals ever. Passion is the word that most comes to mind when describing these dramatic performances. Sinatra fully embodies the tortured character of Billy Bigelow in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 8-minute “Soliloquy” from 1945’s Carousel, perhaps the finest recording ever of the ambitious musical sequence. He’s equally passionate on the duo’s “I Have Dreamed” from 1951’s The King and I, and brings remarkable depth to Kern and Hammerstein’s “Ol’ [sic] Man River” (Show Boat, 1927). Sinatra had performed the song in 1946’s MGM Kern extravaganza, Till the Clouds Roll By, and the depth of his interpretation had only grown in the ensuing years. Sinatra reclaimed “Bewitched” (as in “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”) which had been sung by Rita Hayworth as Vera Simpson in the Sinatra-starring 1957 film version of the 1940 musical. His intense performance of the song finds the pain underneath Lorenz Hart’s insouciant lyrics, and has arguably never been bettered. These performances are just the tip of the iceberg of a set that also includes “This Nearly Was Mine” (from 1949’s South Pacific), Carousel’s stirring “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and the near-operatic anthem “Lost in the Stars” from the 1949 musical of the same name. For the latter, Sinatra believably portrays the role of a reverend facing a spiritual crisis.
The 2012 Concert Sinatra is expanded by two bonus tracks, “America, the Beautiful” and the Sammy Cahn/Jimmy Van Heusen “California.” Both songs were arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, and recorded at the same February 18-20 sessions that yielded the original album. Though their non-Broadway pedigrees would have made them an uncomfortable fit on the LP, they are welcome bonus tracks.
Frank Sinatra, The Concert Sinatra (Reprise FS-1009, 1963 – reissued Concord, 2012)
1. I Have Dreamed
2. My Heart Stood Still
3. Lost in the Stars
4. Ol’ Man River
5. You’ll Never Walk Alone
6. Bewitched
7. This Nearly Was Mine
8. Soliloquy
9. California
10. America, The Beautiful
Emboldened by Riddle’s majestic arrangements (in which he eschews the swingin’ sound identified with him in favor of a lush, rich palette suitable for these ballads), Sinatra turned out some of his most powerful vocals ever. Passion is the word that most comes to mind when describing these dramatic performances. Sinatra fully embodies the tortured character of Billy Bigelow in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 8-minute “Soliloquy” from 1945’s Carousel, perhaps the finest recording ever of the ambitious musical sequence. He’s equally passionate on the duo’s “I Have Dreamed” from 1951’s The King and I, and brings remarkable depth to Kern and Hammerstein’s “Ol’ [sic] Man River” (Show Boat, 1927). Sinatra had performed the song in 1946’s MGM Kern extravaganza, Till the Clouds Roll By, and the depth of his interpretation had only grown in the ensuing years. Sinatra reclaimed “Bewitched” (as in “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”) which had been sung by Rita Hayworth as Vera Simpson in the Sinatra-starring 1957 film version of the 1940 musical. His intense performance of the song finds the pain underneath Lorenz Hart’s insouciant lyrics, and has arguably never been bettered. These performances are just the tip of the iceberg of a set that also includes “This Nearly Was Mine” (from 1949’s South Pacific), Carousel’s stirring “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and the near-operatic anthem “Lost in the Stars” from the 1949 musical of the same name. For the latter, Sinatra believably portrays the role of a reverend facing a spiritual crisis.
The 2012 Concert Sinatra is expanded by two bonus tracks, “America, the Beautiful” and the Sammy Cahn/Jimmy Van Heusen “California.” Both songs were arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, and recorded at the same February 18-20 sessions that yielded the original album. Though their non-Broadway pedigrees would have made them an uncomfortable fit on the LP, they are welcome bonus tracks.
Frank Sinatra, The Concert Sinatra (Reprise FS-1009, 1963 – reissued Concord, 2012)
1. I Have Dreamed
2. My Heart Stood Still
3. Lost in the Stars
4. Ol’ Man River
5. You’ll Never Walk Alone
6. Bewitched
7. This Nearly Was Mine
8. Soliloquy
9. California
10. America, The Beautiful
