[Dixielandjazz] Frank Sinatra Jr.

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

I gather Frank Jr. had a great deal or even everything to do with Charlie 
Shavers coming to Europe during his last couple of years, and recording in 
France and being filmed I think in Copenhagen with Ben Webster, when Charlie's 
cancer was within a year of killing him. 

Anyone who knows the live recording Charlie made in France then should know that 
when he performed the same programme in the studio he was probably in an ideal 
state of lubrication and the studio recordings are better than the slightly 
overlubricated live set -- indeed better than most jazz recordings -- apart from 
the out and out masterpieces. Long after Charlie's subsequent untimely departure 
I read about Frank Jr's part in Charlie's trip in an interview of the time with 
maestro Shavers, and I am very grateful.