[Dixielandjazz] Nelson Riddle + Frank Sinatra = Magic

[brycejo at comcast.net]

I've always felt that Sinatra recorded dozens of classics.  While "Skin" is among his best, "All the Way" for me is the ultimate Sinatra experience.  I read a review somewhere years ago that identified this 1957 record as Sinatra's masterwork.

All that said, "....Monterey" from this session is fantastic.  Later, "One for My Baby" has Sinatra ooozing sincerity and sadness. 

Did he ever make a record without making the material better than it was....with the exception of "Skin," "All the Way" and "One for My Baby?"  

Even his "...Coffee...in Brazil" was made better when he sang it.

Jack Bryce
One of Littlefield's minions



-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Steve barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> 

> Ed O'Brien, one of the leading experts on the recordings of Frank Sinatra, 
> posted this on a Sinatra List today. Many opine that Sinatra and Riddle were 
> not jazz musicians. Makes no difference because they both had soul. 
> 
> Cheers, 
> Steve 
> 
> Fifty years ago this evening Frank Sinatra entered Capitol's KHJ Studios on 
> Vine St. and from 8 to 11:30 proceeded to record 4 songs. Three of the 
> tunes were done for "Songs for Swingin' Lovers" and one, "Flowers Mean 
> Forgiveness," was laid down for a single release. The session was arranged 
> and conducted by Nelson Riddle. 
> 
> A thirty-four piece orchestra and a chorus of four male singers had been 
> contracted for the evening. The first two tracks done were "It Happened In 
> Monterey" and "Swingin' Down the Lane." The penultimate song was the 
> single ditty with chorus . . . and then Cole Porter's tune "I've Got You 
> Under My Skin" completed the session. 
> 
> During the afternoon rehearsal the musicians gave Riddle a standing ovation 
> after running down the "Skin" chart. Even today it is difficult to fully 
> comprehend the importance of that moment so long ago now. Sinatra and 
> Riddle created a sound that evening destined to be imitated by scores of 
> singers. The urban ethos "Skin" would personify became the single 
> most identifiable Sinatra sound. There were 22 takes done before Frank and 
> Nelson reached the level of excellence that would become the legendary 
> recording. 
> 
> Here is guitarist Bob Bain's recollection of that evening: 
> 
> BB: I was sitting right next to Milt Bernhart. Milt was just terrified. 
> The work was so demanding. And they would say we¹ve got to do another one. 
> He would look at me and say, ³ I don¹t have another one left.² The take 
> they finally took was the best solo he did all night. 
> 
> EOB. There were 22 takes. I should mention the date was 1-12-56 
> 
> BB. There was a lot of tension building up. Nelson was getting impatient. 
> Frank was getting impatient. Milt had to play that solo on top of the 
> brass. He had to really blow hard. 
> 
> EOB. Do you remember anything else about that session ? It was really a 
> historic session. 
> 
> BB. This is what I remember: I was very close to Doreen Riddle, Nelson¹s 
> first wife. A few days after the sessions, Frank invited Nelson and Doreen 
> down to Palm Springs. The evening they were there at Frank¹s house, he just 
> kept playing ³I¹ve Got You Under My Skin² over and over and over again. He 
> kept saying, ³You mother, you really wrote your ass off on this one.² He 
> just kept making comments to them on how great the arrangement was. 
> Doreen told me she got sick of listening to the song. He would play it and 
> then go play it again. And play it again. 
> 
> EOB. I think it is without question his single greatest recording. 
> 
> BB. Yes, it is. 
> 
> George Roberts, bass trombonist, had some fascinating background. 
> 
> EOB: Can you give me some background on the recording of ³I¹ve Got You 
> Under My Skin?² 
> 
> GR: The song was a big, big thing for me. The Afro-Cuban rhythmical 
> piece in the center of the song. He called me up about a month or month and 
> a half in front of that session. He said that Frank wanted a long crescendo 
> in the middle. Nelson did it with trombones. It set up a pattern of five 
> different contrapella lines going at the same time. And it started with bass 
> trombone. Being on that tune, it was just about the biggest single record 
> Nelson ever did, really opened things up for me. 
> 
> Sinatra sang the songs thousands of times in concert and often told his 
> audience it was Nelson Riddle's finest hour. 
> 
> 
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