The Chairman of the Board

In 1973, Frank Sinatra's "comeback" was launched with the release of "Old Blue Eyes is Back" and, while the voice had diminished, his phrasing and his sense that songs had to be performed as much as sung remained in tact. While the arrangements by Gordon Jenkins and Don Costa paled in comparison to Sinatra's classic output with Nelson Riddle, they showcased the voice as they fought the temptation to be too lush. The collection here is a mixed bag. Kris Kristofferson's "Nobody Wins" becomes Sinatra's song while Joe Raposo's "There Used to Be a Ballpark" is pure bathos. There is, however, Sinatra's almost reverent rendering of "Send in the Clowns." One nice (and unexpected) offering is the theme from a Burt Reynolds Western, "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing." Here, Paul Williams' "Dream Away," although marked by reminders that the voice had seen better days, is slow, deliberate and it reminds you that Sinatra's phrasing is, well, his own. It is an album I still listen to frequently

So, now, why Sinatra? Maybe it's a Jersey thing but, as a H.S. senior, three teammates and I took our girlfriends to Westchester County to see Frank in concert. Two beat-up cars, three chilled bottles of Mateus rose, and four guys who couldn't dress up if their lives depended on it (although the girlfriends were absolutely stunning). We took their seats in an audience of fifty- and sixty-somethings for an evening that we sensed was special. Although Sinatra performed more frequently after the 1973 comeback, this evening was different, a smaller venue that seemed to encourage more between-song patter from this great performer. He joked about the times his voice would crack, quipping that he hadn't had a cigarette since noon. But, here was an icon completely relaxed and willing to try new numbers (Barry Manilow's hit "I Write the Songs" and a couple of deep cuts from John Denver). Yes, he sang the songs your parents played ("The Summer Wind" and "In the Wee Small Hours") but what came through to me was a performer entirely comfortable in his own skin. He sang for a little under an hour and, by the time we left, I knew that I had seen something special. I still listen to Sinatra. There are times where nothing sets an intimate mood better than his wonderful 1950s recordings, such as "Wee Small Hours." And, I still return to "Old Blue Eyes is Back" from time to time to marvel at the Chairman of the Board coming back on his own terms.