It was 1965 in St. Louis and The Rat Pack performed Birth Of The Blues live as only Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. could. However, you may notice one new member of the group for this particular performance … Johnny Carson! Actually, he held up his end pretty well and his voice wasn’t terrible either. Great song, fast company and some unforgettable shtick.
‘Tis the season to be snowy! New York Voices is the Grammy Award winning vocal ensemble renowned for their excellence in jazz and the art of group singing. Like the great groups that came before, such as Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Singers Unlimited, Manhattan Transfer and, of course, The Four Freshmen, they have learned from the best and taken their musical form to new levels. I couldn’t resist adding some visuals to their marvelous rendition of the Sammy Cahn – Jule Styne tune, Let It Snow … written in July 1945!
Marshmallow World may not be jazz, but it is definitely Christmas … and these two characters are definitely Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra (in a 1967 TV special).
Finally, I have brought The Christmas Show forward from our Jazz Scene Podcast page. May you enjoy every minute of this musical Christmas card and have the Merriest of all Christmases with the ones you love!
In 1967 Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim recorded a spectacular album together that was nominated for an album of the year Grammy, best male pop vocal and best vocal performance. The music was arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman, accompanied by a studio orchestra. Here is a medley from that album by the two artists in a wonderfully relaxed setting … exactly the way Bossa Nova is most naturally presented: Corcovado, Change Partners, I Concentrate On You, and Jobim’s own The Girl From Ipanema.
The Three Tenors? Jazz? Well, when you add Frank Sinatra to the mix and understand the musical reverence they have for him, it begins to make sense. In July 1994, José Carreras, Plàcido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti, together with conductor Zubin Mehta and The L.A. Philhrmonic, performed “A Tribute to Hollywood” medley at their legendary concert at the Los Angeles Dodger Stadium. Old Blue Eyes was in attendance and his reaction to the trio’s uniquely tender rendition of My Way demands that I share this with you.
The earliest known recorded version of Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town was by banjoist Harry Reser and his band on October 24, 1934. This 2017 version has British singer-song writer Seal performing a duet with Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, through the miracle of modern technology. It’s seamless, it swings, it’s great!
It’s A Marshmallow World is an excerpt from Dean Martin’s star-studded 1968 Christmas Special, featuring Dean and a few of the fetchingly beautiful girls he likes to surround himself with … constantly. While Deano is largely thought of as a pop crooner, he is a talented, versatile entertainer [a member of the ‘Rat Pack’] and a performer who definitely adds to the many colors of Christmas!
In 2003 a concert was held for Dismas House in St. Louis Missouri, the first halfway house in the country. It featured The Rat Pack … Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. performing at their relaxed, professional finest! The Count Basie Orchestra, led by Quincy Jones, provided much of the accompanying music.
I’ve chosen to highlight Sinatra in this video and selected Get Me To The Church On Time and Luck Be A Lady Tonight from the concert, because their performances are so very, very Sinatra. Old Blue Eyes’ ability to make a song his own is one of the elements that makes him so appealing and these tunes so enjoyable. Now … someone tell me that Frank is not actually jazz or that he doesn’t swing and I’ll be glad to send you some polka records!
Frank Sinatra said Ella Fitzgerald was the best singer (male or female) he ever heard and the only one who made him nervous to sing with, because he had to be up to her standards. Two legends and only one word to describe them: Respect! Frank even lets Ella dominate their performances to showcase her greatness. He was always the gentleman. Talent like Frank and Ella are extinct now and nobody comes close to them … not then, not now.
It was 1967 and both singers were in their prime on That’s Why The Lady Is A Tramp! At one point they respectfully bow to each other, since hugging was not yet a public possibility … still they managed it, lyrically.
Frank may have met his match on Moonlight In Vermont and he knew it. You can tell by the way he looks at her while they’re singing. They sound so perfect, I wish they had made an album together.
It’s classic upon classic! First, Kenny G. takes a walk down memory lane with scenes from classic Christmas movies and his lush arrangement of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Then a classic clip from the 1967 Bing Crosby television special featuring a duet of White Christmas with Frank Sinatra, as the magic of the holiday season unfolds.
After that, the only thing left to say is MERRY CHRISTMAS! I wish you and yours Christmas rainbows all through the new year!
On New Years Eve everybody sings this tune but most people don’t know what it means. Actually, it’s an old Scottish folk song and the phrase “Auld Lang Syne” roughly translates to “Times gone by”. While no one seems to know who wrote it, a Scotsman named Robert Burns was the first to put it on paper and so is most frequently credited with its composition. Meanwhile Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and a few friends use it here to help us welcome in 2019 with this compilation of TV and movie scenes … and extend my wishes to you for a very HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
Sinatra said Ella Fitzgerald was the best singer he ever heard and the only one who made him nervous to sing with, because he had to be up to her standards. “The best way to start any musical evening is with this girl. It don’t get better than this,” Frank said about performing with Ella. Beyond that, there isn’t much to say about two of the greatest singers of all time. You just sit back and listen!
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