Customer Reviews

Sinatra & Sextet

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If the liner notes to SINATRA IN PARIS are to be believed--and there's no reason they shouldn't be--Sinatra slapped this sextet together quickly and never rehearesed on the road.

The result is a near-perfect set of sultry bar tunes, more intimate than SINATRA AT THE SANDS but still a bigger sound than SONGS FOR ONLY THE LONELY. The Voice is in primal condition, the band is loose but on target, and the material is superb mid-career Sinatra.

As for the banter that everyone is so hep to denigrade...this is a Vegas performer doing a Vegas act before an uppercrust white Parisian audience in 1962. What did you expect--Jerry Seinfeld? Sinatra was what he was and, in all fairness to the COB, his white-and-black give and take with Sammy Davis Jr., which seems rather backward and cold today, was seen as a great step forward in the late 1950s, when Step'n'fetchit and the Kingfish were still pretty popular stereotypes.

Don't buy it for the rift Sinatra had just ripped with the Kennedys, don't buy it for mafia rumour or supposed racial slights; buy SINATRA IN PARIS for the great, great music it contains, and the powerful Voice that bowled over the world for six decades.

The title said it all. Wonderful concert of the
Chairman at his best. Starting off with wonderful
standards like "Imagination" and "Moonlight in
Vermont", then sliding into a some faster
tunes before performing, without question, the
best version of "Night and Day" ever recorded.
After this he equals it with a wonderful
version of "One for My Baby" before giving
a complete show stopper in "Ol Man River" It
is impossible to listen to Frank sing "Ol
Man River" without getting chills. Get the cd,
it's simply perfect

Because the sound quality exceeds that of the 1959 Australian concert, this is an involving album that features some of Sinatra's finest moments -- and some less fine -- but it all adds up to a beautiful, honest portrait of a singer who bends notes and lyrics masterfully. "Night and Day" and "Ol' Man River" are stunning. "Imagination" is fetching, as are many others. Perhaps the most touching moment of the evening is Sinatra's performance of "One for My Baby;" he explains how he feels the song has become more and more beautiful through the years, yet nearly stumbles on several lyrics, which in a studio might be cause for a retake, but here it tells you so much more about a performer on the road that we should appreciate it for what it is.

This is a great evening album, long enough to make you feel as though you were there.

Frank Sinatra even in later years when his voice clearly was not at its strongest could always put on a memorable live performance, even if studio work was his self professed favorite form of expression. Nonetheless, he was a master at the live performance all of his career, and he is dynamite here as well. The uniqueness of this album comes from its late release date (not until 1994, over 30 years after its recording), and more importantly, the fact that he performs with a small group of musicians rather than a full orchestra. It gives this work an intimate sound, and really shows Sinatra's genius. He will move you to swing, have your heart in his hands on a song like "Ol' Man River", and light the torch as only he can on "Angel Eyes" and "One For My Baby." I love this album because it is a reminder of Frank's greatness. Like any great work of art (or true artist) you can revisit it/him and find MORE to enjoy; it makes the experience seem larger, not smaller; how many artists can you TRULY say that about? This is a unique sound for Sinatra, another side, and all done to his usual high standards. This to me is what live performance is all about. His comments, as always, are not politically correct; not always funny, when intended, and often, as usual, off the top of his head thoughts that sometimes hit, sometimes miss. This too was Sinatra, and gives this album another layer of intimacy. Live performers like this come along very rarely. This is a worthy recording of that genius.

This 1962 recording offers a wide variety of Live Sinatra material (26 songs) but even after repeatdly listening to the album I still can't shake the feeling that FS did not give "all" for most of the show that night.

While some singing is indeed awesome, on other tracks the "Chairman" seems to sound a little, well... uninvolved.

Also, I was disappointed that this is a MONO recording (not stated on the cover or anywhere lease) while Sinatra had been recording in stereo for quite some time by then - which somehow spoils the fun a little when you compare this recording to the 1966 "Sands" CD.

Otherwise, a great live album that recaptures the magic of Sinatra on Stage - most of the time.

Foe the love of God, why hasn't someone remastered this album?? This is possibly the best Sinatra performance ever captured, with Frank singing with a small, intimate sextet. He sings some brilliant, obscure songs (Moonlight In Vermont), but the sound quality is so poor that i cannot listen to this recording on my High Fidelity system. This CD has been relegated to 'car CD only' status for me.

Please, someone give the masters to Rudy Van Gelder and let him work his magic. It's a disgrace that the Sinatra family hasn't remastered what is possibly Sinatra's finest performance ever recorded.

This concert was recorded during Frank Sinatra's tour of world capitals in 1962 to raise money for children's charities. Sinatra was accompanied by a six man band, which was one of the smallest groups he ever worked with. Of course, the smaller group necessitated simpler arrangements of the songs, but they still work pretty well. Sinatra is in good voice, but he seems to run out breath a few times. Could it have been something he ate? Anyway, this is an enjoyable concert of Sinatra singing some of his most popular songs. Frank's fans will enjoy it.

I'll get right to the point. I'm a new Sinatra fan, focusing mostly on the Capitol years... I just don't understand why this album is not more apparent to everybody, because it is unbelievably great! A bunch of songs, a great mix of tunes, really good ones that many of us have forgotten or maybe haven't heard. "At Long Last Love", "Moonlight in Vermont", "Skin", etc., just too many to mention. Frank's in very, very good voice, and the sextet is as good or better than Sinatra himself. Quality is outstanding also. A great buy, with "mucho" music. Buy it, you won't regret it.

this 1962 concert is a unique document of just another side of the many sides of sinatra. this concert works different from the "sands" show, as that one does compared to the "main event". there is just no end of different concert concepts and realizations in the sinatra work :accompanied by sextet, basies big band, in a saloon, in a concert hall with strings, in a stadium with ten thousands of people etc. while the sextet sound works terriffic for some of the songs, others lack the big band. sinatra is not at his best during this show, the highlights of that tour have yet to be released. but he adds new shades to some of the songs. he bends the notes differently on "one for my baby" than he usually does. this voice-guitar version of "night and day" is performed with such care and perfection that you can feel sinatras excitement with that new arrangement. "under my skin" or "lady is a tramp" sound less excited on that night, lacking the singers identification with the song caracters (a little bit tired after singing it in each concert), but are acceptable versions anyway. to me the message of this concert is :taking the time and perform an easy and long program, just singing flowingly without much vegas turmoil. you see it on the number of songs he sings here: over 25. yet, there are some confusing production infos: i read that there is one unreleased track from that show, and that it was actually not taped at the lido but at the olympia, in contrast to what the liner notes say. WHY?

(4.5/5 stars) This 1962 concert by Sinatra and a sextet in Paris is one to own due to some outstanding performances of some fantastic songs. From the embittered man hoping for an ex-lover's timely demise on "Goody, Goody" to the down-trodden slave of "Ol' Man River," Sinatra has it covered. (If you don't think a wealthy, forty-something white man can make "Ol' Man River" poignant and beautiful, listen to this) Some of these songs, such as "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "I Get A Kick Out of You," are indelibly linked with the man. However, his voice is in such peak form and the accompaniment is so strong you will definitely want the performances on this CD. "Night and Day" alone is worth the price! The CD is not without its faults, however. Even though the sound quality is probably just about average for concert recordings in France at the time, it does detract a little from the overall experience. Also, his voice gives out on him at times, which is something he jokingly attributes to sleeping in the park. While that remark is innocuous enough, there are other times it is clear he did not transition well to a world of gender equality and civil rights. In addition to his comment about "Ol' Man River" being about Sammy Davis, Jr.'s people, there is his translation of "cherchez la femme" as "Why don't you share the broad with me?" "Whatever happened to those old jokes?" he asks after springing a zinger on the audience. Indeed.