Sinatra-Basie

Performer: Frank Sinatra
Artist: Thad Jones; Frank Foster; Frank Wess; Freddie Green
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Count Basie (piano); Freddie Green (guitar); Marshal Royal, Frank Foster, Eric Dixon, Frank Wess, Charlie Fowlkes (saxophone); Thad Jones, F.P. Ricard, Sonny Cohn, Albert Aarons, Al Porcino (trumpet); Henry Coker, Rufus Wagner, Benny Powell (trombone); Buddy Catlett (bass); Sonny Payne (drums). Recorded in late 1962. The long-awaited first collaboration between two icons, Count Basie and Frank Sinatra, did something unique for the reputations of both. For Basie, the Sinatra connection inaugurated a period in the '60s where his band was more popular and better-known than it ever was, even in the big-band era. For Sinatra, Basie meant liberation, producing perhaps the loosest, rhythmically free singing of his career. Propelled by the irresistible drums of Sonny Payne, Sinatra careens up to and around the tunes, reacting jauntily to the beat and encouraging Payne to swing even harder, which was exactly the way to interact with the Basie rhythm machine -- using his exquisite timing flawlessly. Also the members of the Basie band play a more prominent role than usual on a Sinatra record, with soloists like Frank Wess -- in some of the finest flute work of his life -- and tenors Frank Foster and Eric Dixon getting prominent solo opportunities on several of the tracks. The record was criticized by some as a letdown when it came out, probably because Neal Hefti's charts rarely permit the band to roar, concentrating on use of subtlety and space. Yet the record's restraint has worn very well over the long haul -- it doesn't beat you into submission -- and it concludes with its best shot, a wonderfully playful treatment of "I Won't Dance." ~ Richard S. Ginell In 1962, Sinatra was probably still giddy with the freedom afforded him by the foundation of his year-old label Reprise. It was in that year that he sought out Count Basie, whom he'd long admired, to record a collaborative album. While Sinatra's work with arranger Billy May stands as some of the most swinging work in either man's career, its tough to out-swing the Count. Basie's blues-influenced big-band sound gives Sinatra an unequalled rhythmic push throughout this album, which truly deserves its "historic" reputation. Brassy, bold, uptempo numbers are the order of the day on SINATRA-BASIE, and the buoyancy of "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "Pennies From Heaven" benefits greatly from both Sinatra's warm-hearted enthusiasm and Basie's earthy swing. Even the ballad "I Only Have Eyes for You" is reworked here into a toe-tapper. And with such luminaries as trumpeter Thad Jones and guitarist Freddie Green behind the Basie bandstand, the musicianship is flawless, simultaneously precise and soulful.

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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