Customer Reviews

Frank Sinatra - A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim [VHS]

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have to admit I'm not an overly enthusiastic Sinatra fan myself, but he is certainly at his prime in this 1967 TV special. Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra are top notch as is Miss Ella in her solos and duets with Frank. The opening track "Day In, Day Out" featuring a lot of percussion instruments surrounding Frank is particularly memorable and full of drive.

The real reason I bought this DVD, however, was for the segment with Antonio Carlos Jobim. Frank and Antonio do a short medley of Jobim and Cole Porter-written songs (this segment of the show could and should have been MUCH longer) - but which medley unfortunately is credited to the arranging talents of Nelson Riddle - when in fact, the entire arrangement of all 4 Jobim and Porter songs played should have been attributed to Claus Ogerman. The arrangement of these four tunes can be heard note for note in the "Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim" 1967 LP (and now CD) on the Reprise label. Claus Ogerman arranged and conducted this entire album. Shortened versions of these four songs were only "lifted" from the album for this tv show. Antonio plays guitar chord changes in between the songs which make the 4 tunes flow effortlessly from one to the other. Nelson Riddle does a fine job arranging the music for the rest of the tv special, but I believe in giving credit where credit is due - and by no means did he arrange the Sinatra/Jobim part of the special.

Two of the very best albums Sinatra ever recorded were those with Jobim and I am glad that at least some of the material from one of these albums gets to shine on this tv special.

Of course, there are no words to describe Ella Fitzgerald's talent; every superlative about her singing has already been used many times over. She's great to both watch and listen to on this special and you can tell that Frank enjoys listening to her - when he's not singing with her himself - as well.

Anyone who loves bossa nova or wonderful renditions of standard swing and jazz tunes should definitely not miss buying this DVD. The only dissapointment for me is that it was not remastered in Dolby Digital, and offered in only PCM sound. Although the video part of the DVD is very good considering its age, it also could have done with a remastering to make it look even more pristine for the digital age.

--bj
January 2003.

This is probably the best of the 5 or 6 Sinatra television specials that have been released on video over the past 10 years or so. And that is true for one reason; those 15 or so minutes that Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, both still in their prime, show the world what could have been if only they'd followed through on those plans to make an album together.

The duets they sing togther, starting with "Goin' Out of My Head" and ending with "Lady Is a Tramp" are, quite simply, perfect. These are obviously two singers who love working together, one only wishes they did so more often. The closing rendition of "Lady Is A Tramp" ranks as one of the best moments in the history of American popular song ever captured on film; I'm just glad the camera's were there to capture it.

The duets with Jobim are great as well, but honestly, if you want to hear the Frank and Tom Jobim at their best, you need to go listen to the albums they made. The real treat on this video is Frank and Ella, and if you're a fan of either singer (or just a fan of good music in general), you need to do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Well, I'm old enough to be able to say I miss musical variety television. Obviously we have larger venues of musical entertainment now thanks to cable, but in many ways the musical sources are startlingly different from thirty-six years ago. In 1967, a singer and an acoustic guitarist could sit down and knock out "Change Partners" and "Girl From Ipanema" (in two different languages, yet!!) and entertain a very gratified audience. This special, recently spotted on PBS, is one not to be missed: it features the Frank Sinatra of his Rat Pack/Mia Farrow days, perenially garbed in evening dress with martini and cigarette in hand, doing what he does best: singing with ease and grace. The ballads- from "Ol' Man River," "Put Your Dreams Away," and especially Cole Porter's "I Concentrate On You" are lovely. And if that wasn't enough, the special flows seamlessly from the charm of Antonio Carlos Jobim's guitar to the drop-dead elegance of Ella Fitzgerald, who appears with the host twice: first in a medley of 'modern-day' 60's songs (this is a time capsule onto itself) like "Goin' Out of My Head," "Ode to Billie Joe," and others; then reappears with Sinatra at the end of the hour to burn up some old standards: "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "At Long Last Love," "Stompin' At The Savoy," and the undisputed finale, the stunning call-and-response arrangement of "The Lady Is A Tramp." This song is nothing short of marvelous, for the simple reason that it shows the singers having a ball. Sinatra was very much in the cynical, pseudo-arrogant songster persona at this time, but when he takes the stage with Ella the mask of steel is completely melted away and he is visibly relaxed and jovial, even stopping to show admiration of her scatting improvisation. They clearly enjoy each other, and it shows. A glorious moment of live television that was never really matched again, but is captured on a very clear and sharp DVD.

With the exception of the first duet with Frank and Ella, which attempts to address the then-current pop culture (weak renditions of movie themes and chart busters) this video is a monster, one for the archives.

Frank comes out roaring on an updated arrangement of Day In, Day Out at a break-neck tempo, sings the bejesus out of it and working the stage like the zenith of an entertainer he was.

On Old Man River, right before the last verse, he holds a low G, then without taking a breath, slurs right into the verse. Perhaps even more impressive than this display of technical virtuosity is how he stays "in character" after the song ends. The audience is applauding like mad, and instead of acknowledging it, he still assumes the character in the song, a slave who is at his pain threshold. This is what seperated Sinatra from the other singers. He didn't need a six octave range to deliver. He simply studied the lyrics, digested what the writer wanted to say, and put himself in the first person.

Flexibility and diversity are present as he brings the belting down to a whisper to blend in with Jobim's soft bossa-ballads as well as bossa nova treatments of Cole Porter's "I Concentrate On You" and Berlin's "Change Partners". Ten minutes of magic here.

The finale is one for the archives. Frank is not reluctant to let Ella loose for some of her trademark scatting and more than holds his own "They Can't Take That Away". I think he even inspired Ella here, definitely a mutual-admiration society. "The Lady Is A Tramp' is not to be missed, complete with an intro not familiar to most. They pulled out all the stops, causing the studio audience to applaud long enough to trigger a reprise of the last verse and chorus.

To close the program, Sinatra remarks he can't remember an hour going by so quickly. He is sincere here. He brought top talent in and they all delivered.

This is entertainment bliss. Please don't miss it.

I have to admit I'm not an overly enthusiastic Sinatra fan myself, but he is certainly at his prime in this 1967 TV special. Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra are top notch as is Miss Ella in her solos and duets with Frank. The opening track "Day In, Day Out" featuring a lot of percussion instruments surrounding Frank is particularly memorable and full of drive.

The real reason I bought this DVD, however, was for the segment with Antonio Carlos Jobim. Frank and Antonio do a short medley of Jobim and Cole Porter-written songs (this segment of the show could and should have been MUCH longer) - but which medley unfortunately is credited to the arranging talents of Nelson Riddle - when in fact, the entire arrangement of all 4 Jobim and Porter songs played should have been attributed to Claus Ogerman. The arrangement of these four tunes can be heard note for note in the "Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim" 1967 LP (and now CD) on the Reprise label. Claus Ogerman arranged and conducted this entire album. Shortened versions of these four songs were only "lifted" from the album for this tv show. Antonio plays guitar chord changes in between the songs which make the 4 tunes flow effortlessly from one to the other. Nelson Riddle does a fine job arranging the music for the rest of the tv special, but I believe in giving credit where credit is due - and by no means did he arrange the Sinatra/Jobim part of the special.

Two of the very best albums Sinatra ever recorded were those with Jobim and I am glad that at least some of the material from one of these albums gets to shine on this tv special.

Of course, there are no words to describe Ella Fitzgerald's talent; every superlative about her singing has already been used many times over. She's great to both watch and listen to on this special and you can tell that Frank enjoys listening to her - when he's not singing with her himself - as well.

Anyone who loves bossa nova or wonderful renditions of standard swing and jazz tunes should definitely not miss buying this DVD. The only dissapointment for me is that it was not remastered in Dolby Digital, and offered in only PCM sound. Although the video part of the DVD is very good considering its age, it also could have done with a remastering to make it look even more pristine for the digital age.

--bj
January 2003.

First aired in November of 1967, "Sinatra + Ella + Jobim" remains not only Sinatra's "finest hour" on television, but one of the great music specials of all time.

Frank and Ella have two segments together-- the first, in which they explore some of the 'contemporary'songs of the day is capped with a duet of "Going Out My Head," which simply wraps up the song forever; the second, includes standards ranging from "Don't Be That Way" to "Stompin' At The Savoy," and concludes with a rousing duet on "Lady Is a Tramp."

The middle secion of the show has Frank and the late Antonio Carlos Jobim in a medley of both Jobim originals ("Quiet Nights"
"Girl From Ipanema") combined with American standards in the bossa nova vein:("Change Partners," "I Concentrate On You").

"Sinatra+Ella+Jobim" gives the MTV generation a lesson in what great musical television is all about...there are no flashy costumes or special effects, no dancers, strobe lights or dry ice.

Just a trio of great musical talents on simple sets doing what they do best.

All it takes is talent!

This is an excellent show, and probably my favorite of the Sinatra shows currently available. The main attraction for many will be the exhilarating duets between Frank and Ella Fitzgerald, and no one will be disappointed here, I assure you. They even mesmerize us while joking their way through a medley of modern pop tunes, turning in a definitive Going Out Of My Head without even trying. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, and it's a shame we never got a studio album from them, because as these performances make clear, it would have been a classic.

The segment with Antonio Carlos Jobim is very brief, yet also rather enjoyable. Sinatra puffs casually an a cigarette as the lounging duo breeze gently through some material from their album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim.

For me, the real special treat from this show is Frank's stunning performance of Old Man River. Truly a master work of live performance, anyone doubting Sinatra's true singing ability would do well to witness it. Outclassing even his great performance on The Concert Sinatra album, it is a fine showcase for the man's sense of theatrics, emotional nuance, and churning melancholy. I'd try to describe the thrilling vocal feat which Frank achieves near the end of the tune, but I would fail miserably. Suffice to say that I have seen Sinatra skeptics converted on the spot. For this alone the show is worth the price of admission, but you get a hell of a lot more.

Enjoy.

...of television, that is. It was 1967, and Sinatra sounds terrific. On this particular special, he duets with Ella Fitzgerald twice and Antonio Carlos Jobim once. Sinatra and Fitzgerald should have made an album together because their voices mesh perfectly. Ella Fitzgerald is maybe the only female vocalist who could sing swing as well as Sinatra, and their playful duets are the highlight of the show. She is obviously inspired by Sinatra; she nails her solo of "Body and Soul" while he sits in the backround visibly smiling. Pretty much every song they sing together is a highlight, though I'm partial to "Goin' Out of My Head" and "Stompin' at the Savoy."

Nearly as good (or better depending on my mood) are Sinatra's duets with Antonio Carlos Jobim. The highlight is "The Girl from Ipanema" which is chill inducing. Sinatra sings out front while Jobim plays the guitar and murmurs softly behind him. Sinatra's phrasing is perfect, and he somehow makes this soft bossa nova tune swing. Sinatra and Jobim did make two most excellent albums together. If you don't have 'em, you'll want 'em after watching this.

I can't recommend this enough. Like a great record, you can listen (and watch)repeatedly and never get tired of it.

Frank and Ella in there prime at there best. It doesn't get any better than this.

Sinatra is a little hokey on this program (a TV special from the mid-60s) but Ella is fantastic. She is her usual awkward self when it comes to making TV banter with Sinatra, but they are great together on their duets. The closing duet on "Lady is a Tramp" is th highlight. Tom Jobim is given short shrift and is featured only as an accompanist for Sinatra in a rather short segment.