frank sinatra

Frank Sinatra on Top of the Heap: Revisiting ‘Sinatra at the Sands’

Frank Sinatra on Top of the Heap: Revisiting ‘Sinatra at the Sands’

Sinatra at The Sands is my favorite Frank Sinatra performance – cocky, charming but not oily, warm but not soppy. Each listen lays bare the sheer “cuckoo calculation” of it all.

‘The Song Is You’ Is the Frank Sinatra Biography That’s Not a Biography

‘The Song Is You’ Is the Frank Sinatra Biography That’s Not a Biography

The revised and expanded version of Will Friedwald’s acclaimed Frank Sinatra book, The Song Is You, is about the music and nothing but the music.

The 21 Best Album Re-Issues of 2018

The 21 Best Album Re-Issues of 2018

In 2018, the music world saw amazing reissues spanning rock titans to indie upstarts and electronic to pop of all stripes.

Sixty Years After ‘Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely’

Sixty Years After ‘Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely’

This latest release of Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely only reaffirms Sinatra's reputation as the most majestic vocalist of his time.

Ella, Sinatra, and Hamell on Trial: The Great American Songbook in Difficult Times

Ella, Sinatra, and Hamell on Trial: The Great American Songbook in Difficult Times

Hamell on Trial draws upon the musical power of Fitzgerald and the sexual prowess of Sinatra to become one of the finest musical interpreters of America itself.

As a Way of Being in the World, to Be Cool Is to Be a Fascinating Asshole

As a Way of Being in the World, to Be Cool Is to Be a Fascinating Asshole

Cool seems to be a phenomenon located mainly between the end of Hitler’s war and the beginning of Kurt Cobain’s band.
Defensiveness, Vengeance, and Unashamed Self-pity, or, Trump Music

Defensiveness, Vengeance, and Unashamed Self-pity, or, Trump Music

Some troubling common themes in songs from the Trump administration.
Was ‘On the Town’ the First Film Musical Shot On Location?

Was ‘On the Town’ the First Film Musical Shot On Location?

On the Town: seminal in its use of on-location photography? Yes. The best remembered film musical for this reason? Yes. The first Hollywood musical to shoot this way?
A Voice on Air: Frank Sinatra and the Golden Age of Radio

A Voice on Air: Frank Sinatra and the Golden Age of Radio

Nobody “owned” radio like the Voice, and in the decades since, no other star has come close to dominating the medium like Sinatra, as the newly released boxset A Voice on Air demonstrates
‘The Voice’ at 100: Frank Sinatra Jr. Speaks Out

‘The Voice’ at 100: Frank Sinatra Jr. Speaks Out

On the centennial of his legendary father’s birth, Frank Sinatra Jr. strives to defend the Sinatra legacy, and keep his father’s music alive
Frank Sinatra Was a Strange Cat

Frank Sinatra Was a Strange Cat

For many, Frank Sinatra is a caricature of a bygone era, a static character whose legacy commanded more respect than his work. That's only part of the story-- and so is this.
Counterbalance: Frank Sinatra – Songs for Swingin’ Lovers

Counterbalance: Frank Sinatra – Songs for Swingin’ Lovers

291st most acclaimed album of all time, you make me feel there are songs to be sung, bells to be rung and a marvelous fling to be flung. A pre-rock masterpiece is this week's Counterbalance.