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Monday, July 28, 2014

Frank Sinatra .. Sinatra Sings the Songs of Van Heusen and Cahn


Here's a conversation many years ago between Frank Sinatra and his favorite lyricist Sammy Cahn one night at the Palladium Ballroom during the earliest part of his musical career:
Sinatra: "I'm gonna be the best singer in the world."
Cahn: "There's no doubt about it."

Yes, indeed, both Sinatra and Cahn were right about it. Cahn didn't doubt Sinatra when he said that he's going to be the best singer in the world. Of course, he became the best of the best, unmatched, one-of-a-kind and unsurpassed.

In this remarkable album, Sinatra sings the songs of an exceptional songwriting pair of Sammy Cahn and Jim Van Heusen, who have written some of the most beautiful songs from the Great American Songbook. Sammy Cahn's compositions are exceptionally charming and he really had a way with words. Five out of twenty-two songs are from the creative pens of Jim Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. All these are the songs made popular by the Chairman of the Board and were recorded between 1960 and 1968 with seven creative and the best arrangers/conductors of all-time: Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, Johnny Mandel, Sy Oliver, Quincy Jones, Neal Hefti and Torrie Zito. He left his indelible mark of excellence into these songs and made them his very own. 

One of the most influential and humanitarian people in the world, Bono, once said, "Sinatra's songs are his home, and he lets you in." It's very true, one can just imagine the beauty that he injected into each song even the most ordinary and obscure songs. They become magically wonderful to the ears of the listeners when he interpreted them.

1. Ring-A-Ding-Ding
2. The Last Dance
3. Imagination
4. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
5. It's Always You
6. Indiscreet
7. Come Waltz With Me
8. The Look of Love
9. The Tender Trap
10. Come Blow Your Horn
11. Call Me Irresponsible
12. All The Way
13. Swinging On A Star
14. My Kind Of Town
15. I Like to Lead When I Dance
16. The September Of My Years
17. I'll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her
18. Come Fly With Me
19. Love And Marriage
20. Moonlight Becomes You
21. Oh, You Crazy Moon

22. Star!