Customer Reviews

Sinatra Project

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"For years I've had the desire to celebrate Sinatra's musical sensibilities, but I felt that no one needed to hear another knock off of the classic songs that he rendered better than anyone else....Bill Elliott and I decided to reflect the Sinatra sensibility in romantic repertoire but applied a 'what if' scenario to some of the arrangements by interpreting them in conceptually different styles from his own renditions." ~ Michael Feinstein ~

Michael Feinstein's recordings have continuously delighted lovers of fine music with his beyond par vocal and piano artistry. His exceptional body of work is not only confined to George and Ira Gershwin's music, but also the Great American Songbook in general. He is simply one of the most dedicated interpreters of this music genre. It's so impossible not to think of his name when talking about the timeless Standards from the Great American Songbook for he has represented the music and lyrics of almost all the renowned composers and lyricists such as the Gershwin Brothers, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter, Harry Warren, Hoagy Carmichael, Sammy Cahn, Oscar Hammerstein, Jule Styne, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and the list goes on and on.

Mr. Feinstein, a Los Angeles based singer, has given countless Standards new meanings and interpretations to the delight of music lovers, and he will continue to give them much pleasure again with his latest offering entitled "The Sinatra Project," a loving tribute to the music mostly identified with the legendary Chairman of the Board, none other than the one-and-only Frank Sinatra.

He is backed by Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra which is made up of fifty musicians and concert masters. On the entire album, Mr. Feinstein swings with finesse and sings with his own exceptional style, and of course does not imitate 'Ol Blue Eyes, who was incomparably unique and matchless. Bill Elliott did an excellent job with the ingeniously beautiful big band arrangements and orchestrations. Also featured is an incredibly brilliant pianist, Alan Broadbent, who has been collaborating with Mr. Feinstein over the years on some of his remarkable recordings most notably Romance on Film/Romance on Broadway.

The entire CD is an absolute winner from the opener, "Exactly Like You" which is an excellent appetizer that will leave your ears clamoring for more beautiful big band arrangements down to the final cut, "At Long Last Love." And in between the first and last tracks, you'll be pleased with equal satisfaction listening to his stunning renditions of "Begin The Beguine," "The Song Is You," "I've Got A Crush On You," "You Go To My Head," "Fools Rush In" and a medley of "All My Tomorrows"/"All The Way." China Forbes of Pink Martini graced this program with a duet on "How Long Will It Last," a seldom recorded song from the pens of Max Lief and Joseph Meyer.

An emotional highlight is his heart-wrenching delivery of a new song from this set, "The Same Hello, The Same Goodbye," from the pens of Alan and Marilyn Bergman. It was written exclusively for Frank Sinatra who commissioned it to sing in concert. Per Michael Feinstein's notes, Frank Sinatra never learned the song in spite of his reported adoration for it, and cried the first time Alan Bergman sang it for him saying: "How do you know so much about my life?"

This is obviously one of the best Sinatra tributes ever recorded and it is a worthy addition to your Frank Sinatra and Michael Feinstein music collection. I love this album with all my heart -- it belongs to the first of three categories from my music collection: (1) Closest-to-my-heart-collection, (2) Closer-to-my-heart-collection, and (3) Close-to-my-heart-collection.

A lovely album. With my heartfelt recommendation.

Michael Feinstein has taken on the mantle of THE current expert on American Popular Song. As such he continues to explore the idiom from many aspects. From his earlier efforts with solo piano and a quiet cocktail lounge approach, he has progressed to the current effort involving a large talented orchestra and arrangements that are "authentic Sinatra". So, then, what exactly is the problem? Well, in a nut shell, Michael Feinstein is Not Frank Sinatra. Whereas Sinatra had a unique and characteristic vocal "attack' with phrasing that was at once rhythmic and idiosyncratic, Feinstein's voice sounds forced, and without depth. His phrasing is akward, and completely without the recognizable sustained noted on the consonants that made Sinatra so recognizable. The treble notes ( listen to Begin the Beguine and parts of It's All Right With Me ) ) are simply awful as Feinstein struggles to be heard above the band. Indeed, his range is much more applicable to musical arrangements on solo piano wherein the more intimate setting can play to his strengths, i.e., a softer voice in which the lack of range can be hidden by strategic "whispers", better phrasing, heart felt sighs, and well executed "falsettos" in the high range. Simply listen to All My Tomorrows/All The Way to hear how much better Feinstein sings with solo piano; the difference is amazing.

A decided positive is the orchestration and the sound of the recording which are first rate. Feinstein's stated goal was to pay tribute to Sinatra by presenting songs that Sinatra didn't record, or recorded once or twice in sessions that might have not been optimal. Such selections were to be in the "style" of Sinatra's time. I will let others decide if Feinstein succeeded in that aspect of the present recording. Unfortunately, Feinstein's previous vocal successes are not evident in the Sinatra Project. Stick with Frank, and save your money.

Quite simply put "this is Michael Feinstein's Finest Hour!" I have every Feinstein album ever cut and this one is the best yet. I can't stop listening to it, it's on the i pod ,its in the car{great with the top down} i-tunes, you name it i'm playing it somewhere......This cd is worth ordering overnite ....yup every penney ! buy it today and enjoy! I'm sure Sinatra is smiling wherever he is! The final cut "At Long Last Love "will blow you away!

When I first saw the playlist for this recording, I was very disappointed. While I realized one record could not begin to cover the songs associated with Sinatra, why were so many of his big hits not covered?? After reading the liner notes, I found out this wasn't Michael's intent. So I gave it a listen, and boy is it a winner! Recorded at the famed Capitol recording studios with a live orchestra, the sound will blow you away. It's hard to pick out favorites as every cut is first rate, but The Song Is You; All My Tomorrows/All the Way and At Long Last Love really stand out for me. "Love" is the final cut and ends the set on a really high note. Congrats to all involved. Love it! Weather you are a Sinatra fan, a Feinstein fan or just love the American Songbook, you cant go wrong here. (Yeah I know he doesnt have Sinatra's voice, but then who does? I can live with it!) Can we hope for a follow up?

The last time I reviewed Michael Feinstein, I labelled him as the closest thing, amongst contemporary singers, to Sinatra. I guess I'm not the only one who thinks that way; we now have this c.d., to prove the point.

Only it doesn't. I said he's the closest thing to Sinatra; I didn't say he is Sinatra. He isn't - and neither is Michael Buble, Harry Connick, Jr., or anyone else you may care to name. Sinatra is one of a kind. It took 70 years for Pavarotti to dull the legend of Caruso (somewhat), and it may take at least that long for Sinatra to be eclipsed or matched.

The biggest plus about this c.d. is also its biggest flaw. Bill Elliott wrote and conducted these arrangements (as well as produced this disc), and they are fantastic. They sound like something Count Basie would have done - for Sinatra. And as such, the c.d. is glaring in its invitation of Sinatra comparisons.

Not a good idea. Michael wails on the flashy uptunes "The Song Is You" and "At Long Last Love," much as Frank would have. He sounds lovely on "Begin the Beguine" and "You Go To My head." But when you hear Mr. Feinstein sing "Fools Rush In" and "All the Way," you realize: a) He doesn't have the depth of soul of Sinatra; and b) Neither does/did anyone else.

The best Frank Sinatra tribute I've heard is the 2004 Tierney Sutton release, "Dancing in the Dark." There, Tierney and Christian Jacob did not try to place Frank's music in Frank's context, but in their own; and the recording was much better for it. Here, this c.d. reminds me too much of "Sinatra and Basie: Together for the First Time." And that happens to be my favorite Sinatra disc.

If this disc had been anything but "The Sinatra Project," I'd probably give it 5 stars. There is much to appreciate here. But given that this is intended to evoke The Chairman of the Board, I have to go four. If Blue Eyes gets 5, Feinstein gets 4. RC

The Sinatra Project is a warm tribute to the great Frank Sinatra by Michael Feinstein. Some people say that Michael Feinstein is no Frank Sinatra; and that may be true. Nevertheless, this tribute album has a very real value precisely because these are Frank Sinatra songs that Sinatra never recorded very often. Indeed, "The Same Hello, The Same Goodbye" is a song written for Frank that (according to Michael Feinstein) Frank never recorded at all! Michael's voice is in great form here; and the choice of songs is excellent. I also like that music by Bill Elliott & His Swing Orchestra! The quality of the sound is very good and the artwork is very nicely done.

The CD starts with Michael Feinstein performing a great rendition of "Exactly Like You." The musical arrangement makes good use of the brass and although the arrangement overall is very lush, it's Michael's voice that remains squarely front and center--and that's great. Michael's excellent diction bolsters his performance even further; and I'm very impressed. "There's A Small Hotel" gets a very sensitive treatment from Michael who sings this with lots of class and grace. "There's A Small Hotel" is clearly a major highlight of this album. Listen also for "Fools Rush In;" "Fools Rush In" is a fine romantic ballad that Michael was practically born to perform; and I'm sure that Frank Sinatra would be very proud of Michael Feinstein's interpretation of this ballad.

"The Same Hello, The Same Goodbye" is yet another very tender love song that gets the royal treatment from Feinstein; Michael sings this elegantly and it works very well. Yes, some may say that Michael's rendition is a bit awkward; but Michael's rendition has its value, too.

"Begin The Beguine" has a wonderful arrangement for the percussion and flute; Michael never sings a superfluous note and that's grand. "I've Got A Crush On You" is a tune that has a lot of good things to be said for Michael's version of this ballad. "You Go To My Head" sparkles like silver and gold when Michael Feinstein sings it; the music fits in perfectly with Michael's vocals. "You Go To My Head" is another major highlight of this CD.

"How Long Will It Last" is a very pretty duet with Michael and China Forbes of Pink Martini; and the CD ends with Michael Feinstein performing a most boisterous version of "At Long Last Love." "At Long Last Love" gets its strength from Michael's singing and that incredible big band style musical arrangement. What a fine way to end this album!

Despite a few relatively minor glitches with vocal arrangements here and there that don't quite sound as melodic as they could have been, Michael Feinstein still scores a goal with his tribute album to Frank Sinatra. These are indeed songs that Frank didn't record very much and so it is a way for Michael to show his deep respect for Frank Sinatra and yet put his own stamp on these ballads to make these renditions his own.

I'm a real Sinatra fan and I was intrigued by this CD's concept primarily because I know that Micheal Feinstein is a serious historical music scholar. I thought that it would be educational about Sinatra in some way. But it wasn't education I got; it was wonderful entertainment.

This is an exceptional work -- not because of a connection to Frank Sinatra but because of the quality of all the remarkable creative work displayed. Feinstein's voice is excellent and most of all his unique vocal interpretation of some of the best songs every recorded make this CD a true gem. Feinstein has restored lyrics to some songs: The additional lines in "At Long Last Love" are a real treat and were never song by any Sinatra recording I've heard.

The piano work (by Feinstein?) is great and the orchestra is fantastic; sounds like the old Count Basie Band but with a full symphonic orchestra: woodwinds, strings, and horns. What superb arrangements!

Another positive element which greately contributes is the extremely high technical quality of the recording. Beyond crystal clear and perfectly mixed. I don't know what they did in the studio but it works!

This CD should not be compared with any of Sinatra's work. Feinstein makes the songs his own. The only connection is in the choice of songs and the overall big band style. I will always be a Sinatra fan -- and now I'm also a Feinstein fan.

BTW: Why can't Amazon include the liner notes?

Somewhat disappointing for this fan of both Sinatra and Feinstein. To paraphrase Frank -- "It's the wrong songs in the wrong style"

I thoroughly agree with reviewer Edwin Mahler - Feinstein is NOT Sinatra - he just doesn't swing! As a great fan of Michael Feinstein's work I find this one annoying in the extreme.
William Higgins

Some tracks are a little syrupy, but then, so was Sinatra sometimes. Worth the money.