Now, before any reincarnated bobbysoxers or their Sicilian godfathers put a dead horse in my bed, let me say that, unequivocally I am, and always will be, Francis Albert Sinatra's number one fan. On record and in the movies (with the exception of The Kissing Bandit) "Ol' Blues Eyes" has always hit the spot.
I love the album Sinatra at the Sands and one of my eternal regrets is that I didn't get to see him live at, if not the Sands, somewhere like the Royal Festival Hall - until last night that is.
The two live shows shown on BBC2 from 1967 and 1970 didn't do him any favours. In fact he came across like a pastiche of the coolest guy in town that he once was.
Don't get me wrong there were moments when he sounded as great as he ever was but these were marred when, in tandem with Ella, they attempted to put their stamp on, to quote Frank, "some of the songs the kids are singing today". These included Bobby Gentry's Ode to Billie Jo and Dusty's Going Out of my Mind both of which were nowhere near as good as the originals. Gentry and Springfield, to the best of my knowledge, have had the better judgement not to have covered songs associated with Frank and Ella.
Comparing the two undisputed champions was interesting. Sinatra's breath control and phrasing, as always, superior to Ella's. Ms Fitzgerald simply takes a breath when she runs out of breath whereas Frank, with expertise, we're told, that he learned from watching Tommy Dorsey's trombone technique (I've also read that it came from swimming underwater) breaths only when the line decrees it. This could result in death for a lesser performer.
However, it has to be said that, overall, Ella came off best. Her voice, irrespective of where she decided to take a breath, had lost nothing of the distinctive sound that made her the jazz singer, not just on the show, but in her lifetime. There was also a cameo (aka brief) appearance by Antônio Carlos Jobim who didn't have much space to stretch out. I guess Sinatra was showing that he was the boss(a).
The 1970 show was better and was introduced by Grace Kelly who hit the jackpot when she married into Monaco royalty as well as appearing with Sinatra and Crosby in the film High Society which was screened later in the evening and which, if you missed it or have forgotten the words, can also be seen on BBC4 this coming Thursday (April 6).
There was also a documentary on Hoboken's finest son (in some people's eyes) that told it like it is or maybe like it is not depending on which biography you've read.
Nevertheless, it was an evening well spent albeit without offering anything new other than to suggest that you stick with the albums and the movies (not The Kissing Bandit) and steer clear of the live shows other than at the Sands.
OMG there's an Italian looking guy coming down the street! Is he looking for me? No, he's delivering a pizza next door! Lance
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