Duets II

Performer: Frank Sinatra
Artist: Antonio Carlos Jobim; Gladys Knight; Stevie Wonder; Neil Diamond; Linda Ronstadt; Chrissie Hynde; Willie Nelson
Engineer: Al Schmitt; Ed Rak
Producer: Phil Ramone
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Stevie Wonder (vocals, harmonica, piano); Antonio Carlos Jobim (vocals, piano); Gladys Knight, Jon Secada, Linda Ronstadt, Crissie Hynde, Willie Nelson, Luis Miguel, Patti LaBelle, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme, Lena Horne, Jimmy Buffett, Lorrie Morgan, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Neil Diamond (vocals); Ron Anthony (guitar); Arturo Sandoval (trumpet); Bill Miller, Terry Trotter (piano); Clay Ostwald (keyboards); Chuck Berghofer (bass); Gregg Field (drums); Rita Quintero, Jorge Noriega (background vocals); Charlie Pollard, Paolo Jobim, Juanito Marquez, Edwin Bonilla, Jorge Casas, Ed Calle. Includes liner notes by Bill Zehme. DUETS II won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. Following the multi-platinum success of Duets, Capitol Records assembled Duets II, a sequel that followed the blueprint of its predecessor to the letter. Assembled from leftover tracks from the first album, Duets II is a somewhat more consistent album than the original. Lacking the superstar names of the first (Tony Bennett, Julio Iglesias, Kenny G, Barbra Streisand, Bono, Aretha Franklin), the artist roster on the sequel generally consists of either faded stars (Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, Gladys Knight) or mid-level singers (Luis Miguel, Lorrie Morgan) who are popular within their genre, but fail to command the attention of the general public. However, there are standouts like Lena Horne and Antonio Carlos Jobim who help lift Duets II to a higher level than Duets. But that's a minor distinction, actually. The nature of the electronic duet prohibits the album from having any sort of emotional resonance, even on tracks that feature strong vocals by Sinatra or his partner. It might be nice to hear Horne and Sinatra together on "Embraceable You," but the song doesn't rise above anything more than a technical marvel. The real tragedy is, their performance hints that the album could have been so much more. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Even as Tony Bennett soars atop the charts, riding the crest of a phenomenal youth revival, The Chairman Of The Board, The Sultan Of Saloon Singers himself, swaggers back to the microphone for a series of cross-generational duets. DUETS II honors his timeless stylings, while celebrating the greatness of the American song itself. With a hip, ad-libbed intro from composer Stevie Wonder (on piano and chromatic harmonica) setting the stage, "For Once In My Life" juxtaposes the swing and gospel stylings of Sinatra and a Pip-less Gladys Knight. Likewise, R&B diva Patti LaBelle provides a near-operatic counterpoint on Rodgers & Hart's "Bewitched." On a more tender note, Sinatra and Lena Horne turn Gershwin's "Embraceable You" into an autumnal paean to true love, while Linda Rondstadt brings a frosty, delicate sense of sentimentality to her harmonies on "Moonlight In Vermont." Among the more curious pairings are a laid-back "A Foggy Day" with Willie Nelson, a sassy exchange with Chrissie Hynde on the GUYS AND DOLLS showstopper "Luck Be A Lady," and a flagwaving "The House That I Live In" with Neil Diamond. But a pairing of Sinatra, Sr. with Frank Sinatra, Jr. provides the real fireworks on DUETS II: a hard-swinging rendition of Van Heusen & Cahn's "My Kind Of Town," with brassy charts by Sinatra's favorite arranger, Nelson Riddle. Riddle tosses in a tasty figure from Basie's famous "April In Paris" chart as a closing tidbit.

An icon of American music, Frank Sinatra defined sophisticated pop singing of the post-war era and spent more than 50 years in the limelight. After formative stints with Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, and others, Sinatra shot to worldwide fame through hit records and Hollywood movies. His hip, laid-back delivery defined cool, yet he also had a down-to-earth manner that connected easily with audiences. Ups and downs would follow him throughout his career--the details of his private life were not always fit for public consumption--but right up till the end, every comeback strengthened the intense loyalty of his fans.

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