My first recollection of Frank's voice
was coming out of a jukebox in a dark bar on a Sunday afternoon when my mother
and I went in, in search of my father and she said, 'Listen to that—that's
Frank Sinatra and he's from New Jersey.' It was a voice filled with
bad attitude, life, beauty, excitement, a nasty sense of freedom, sex, and
a sad knowledge of the ways of the world... But it was the deep blueness
of Frank's voice that affected me the most, and while his music became
synonymous with black tie, the good life, the best booze, women, sophistication,
his blues voice was always the sound of hard luck, and men late at
night with the last $10 in their pockets, trying to figure a way out.
The Man
The first teen idol. The single greatest interpreter of American popular music. Academy Award-winning actor, saloon singer, and civil rights proponent. Mr. Anonymous. Legend. All of the above.
A great deal of energy has been expended over the last 60+ years debating Frank Sinatra’s place among vocal artists, particularly, his status as a jazz musician. Although he did not strictly adhere to the idioms of that most American of art forms, a quick review of the session personnel during the recording of many of his greatest albums and a list of those how considered his work required listening should be sufficient to demonstrate that he was firmly rooted in the jazz tradition.
Mr. Sinatra always surrounded himself with the best for his recording dates as the names Harry “Sweets” Edison, George Van Eps, Joe Comfort, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Red Norvo, and Antonio Carlos Jobim—to name but a few—can attest. He publicly stated on numberous occasions that his greatest influences were Mabel Mercer and Billy Holiday and that Ella Fitzgerald was his favorite girl singer. The best record stores know this is no “easy listening” artist. And while he often defied all attempts to define him, those who understand his artistry rightly place him in the jazz section along with the artists who so admired his work.
Frank Sinatra spent nearly his entire adult life in the public spotlight and much ink has been committed to paper trying to describe and define the man. Irrespective of the lurid rumors, half-truths, and complete truths, all that will be remembered in ages to come is the monumental talent and the body of audio and video work left behind. As long as young lovers of all ages swoon to songs of love or puzzle over love's treacheries in the wee hours of the morning, this kindred spirit will speak to them just as he did previous generations while recording the soundtrack of the American century.
In today’s 200 cable channel, focus group-driven, grab-your-fifteen-minutes-of-fame culture, it’s almost impossible to imagine an entertainer or any other public figure being able to sustain a career for nearly 60 years that encompassed over 1,400 recordings and 58 movies. Frank Sinatra did just that and during his prime years probably was the hardest working man in show business. While many people who grew up in the waning years of the twentieth century often fail to understand the accolades bestowed upon the singer, dozens of critics and readers polls paint a true portrait of his legacy.
Consider these honors:
- Male singer of the Year (Down Beat Readers Poll) 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, and 1966
- Personality of the Year (Down Beat Popular Readers Poll) 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, and 1959
- Male Singer of the Year (Down Beat Critics Poll) 1955 and 1957
- Male Vocalist of the Year (Playboy Jazz All-Star Poll) 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1963
- Inductee, Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame 1998
- Greatest Voice of the Twentieth Century, BBC Radio 2
- Full text of Bono's introduction
Talking about talent such as this misses the point, however. Frank Sinatra must be heard and seen if he is to be understood and appreciated. A few recording and film recommendations, as well as books for further study, can be found by following the links listed below.