Live & Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection

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It may take a few tries to get the DVD to play (see below), and the black and white film stock along with mediocre resolution may turn away some viewers. But musically, there's no better testimony to Sinatra's credentials as a "jazz singer." This event was shortly after is superb, first Reprise album with the Basie band and Neal Hefti arrangements. He's in complete ownership of each arrangement and, if you thought Elvis' physical gyrations were anything special, simply watch Sinatra's movements and reconsider! He's both singer and "drummer" at the same time, his body constantly in perfect synch with the Basie rhythm section's groove, down to the hi-hat and back-beat. He "sticks" this songs in a way that a Tony Bennett (or, in this case, Sammy) simply can't. Basie's drummer, Sonny Payne, once said Sinatra was the only singer who could make him swing. Here's the proof. No one swing's harder! This is a textbook, a clinic, on the subject and feeling of "swing"--invented by Louis Armstrong, lifted to new levels by Basie and Oscar Peterson, and culminating in Sinatra's infectious, contagious, last word on "catching the groove" (it's been lost in practically popular music since Dylan, the Beatles, the Stones, and all of that ridiculous up and down hammering.) Sadly, an even smaller audience full appreciates the artistry, the depth, the singular emotional strength of Sinatra's ballad albums--from "Only the Lonely" to "September of My Years"--extraordinary, confessional soliloquies of the human heart while encountering loneliness, alienation, unrequited love, aging, irretrievable memories and death. Sinatra--like Bill Evans--was beyond category (some "saloon singer"!) [Although the DVD would not play on any of 3 machines, I was able to "extract" the contents using my iMac, and then transporting it from iTunes to my television set using Apple TV. Indeed, the "action" is more than I'd bargained for. It's a VIP, invitation-only, fund-raiser in St. Louis, and despite an audience that's noticeably "stiffer" than the usual Las Vegas crowd, the boys are at their best, with Johnny Carson thrown in for a little (precious little) added fun (his posture is amazing--the straightest straight man you'll ever see). Dean is characteristically wacky (he obviously learned a lot about physical comedy from Jerry); Sammy lives up to his reputation as the most versatile entertainer in show biz (he does 10 impressions, including a dead-on Fred Astaire singing and dancing "One for my Baby"; finally, Frank comes on and has no trouble upstaging his 2 comrades with his command of swing tunes backed by the Count Basie Orchestra (directed by Quincy Jones). I wish Frank would call out the names of Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Al Grey, since both jazz greats are with the band and have brief solo spots. The big surprise here is that Sammy (I assume with Frank's permission) does "I've Got You Under My Skin," which doesn't discourage Frank from performing the same tune. (Frank is singing the program from the first--"Sinatra-Basie"--of only 3 albums with the Basie band that he would release during his lifetime.) Finally, the 3 along with Johnny cavort before the audience (it's fascinating to catch the faces of spectators who seem underwhelmed by the whole business--obviously on hand to do their duty for charity but with little to no interest in the entertainers or entertainment.) Anyway, if the disc plays, it's easily recommended. It's somewhat sad--after experiencing the energy of all 3 on this occasion--to view the VHS tape of the last tour (1990) and a Detroit concert with fidgety Liza trying to replace Dean by becoming the Energizer Bunny, Sammy stealing the show with Michael Jackson impersonations and dance moves matching those of the "king of pop"; and Frank sounding anticlimactic (the only time I've witnessed vocals by him that were devoid of projection or power.] Original review:: Frank would probably be relieved to know the DVD isn't working or is in limited circulation. By the late '80s he disowned all of the "Rat Pack" and "Chairman of the Board" nonsense. Frank Sinatra was, above all, not a one-time friend of the Kennedy's or a former husband of Mia Farrow. He was, as Newsweek declared, the "Century's Greatest Entertainer" and moreover an unheralded but most generous philanthropist not to mention an actor of rare gifts and uncommon screen presence. More importantly, he was one of the greatest musicians (not merely "singers") of the last century. In fact, more than any other single artist, it was Frank Sinatra who, in effect, "created" the "Great American Songbook." The music of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Hart/Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Jimmy Van Heusen, Jule Styne, Harry Warren, Jimmy McHugh, etc. etc. would have been as ephemeral as many of the musicals and movies for which the songs were composed were it not for Frank Sinatra. He not only took the baton of Louis and Bing from the age of 2-beat to 4-beat music (the Jazz Age into the Swing Era), but he "inhabited" the notes and lyrics like an actor playing Hamlet, probing the deepest, most enduring emotions of the human heart--subjective zones implicit in the songs but accessible only to an interpreter of sufficient skills to be able to transform them into timeless art. To sing about not just skin and sin but disillusionment and loss, aging and death, loneliness and pain--Sinatra had not merely the voice and talent but the requisite courage to face such subjects squarely. Nothing is more joyous and exhilarating than Sinatra and Riddle performing "I've Got You Under My Skin"; nothing is more poignant and disturbing that Sinatra singing Arlen's "Last Night When We Were Young"; nothing is more dramatic than Frank and Nelson once again shooting for the moon--and hitting it--on Cole Porter's most emotional, passionate of all his songs--"In the Still of the Night." Sinatra alone saw the enormous potential in the new long-playing format of the 33rpm vinyl LP. Rather than waste the new technology on contemporary fluff or fill up the space with "variety," he turned to the great music of the past masters and selected programs that were all ballad, all swing, all Broadway--each album not simply a collection but an organic whole. The concept was Frank's--its successful execution no doubt owed as much to the genius of Nelson Riddle as to Sinatra. Finally, the most important thing to know about Sinatra's legacy--but first, an important observation. All of the foregoing praise of Frank is not meant to suggest that his was a "gift," or a "natural" talent. He learned from the artistry of Mabel Mercer how to make it appear as though his singing was as "artless," or natural and effortless, as Billie Holiday's. We believe every word that he sings--partly because he sings every word with such stunning clarity. Sinatra ran stairs and swam laps to develop the kind of breath support that he witnessed in his boss Tommy Dorsey night after night; and he developed an "internal drummer" that out-swung his bandmate, Buddy Rich, during those same Dorsey years. Finally, he studied with opera singers like Robert Merrill. What you hear with Sinatra is an artist who has perfected every syllable of every word of every song, every vowel and consonant, every diphthong before inserting each particle of diction in a breathstream of sufficient strength to enable him to employ his legendary "phrasing." In the '40s he was known as "The Voice," in the '50s he was "The Master Story-Teller," in the '60s and beyond he was "Ole Blue," the most important interpreter of American popular song before Dylan, the Beatles, the Stones--before the new breed of singers who wrote their own songs. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and George Gershwin wrote the songs; Nelson Riddle orchestrated them; Sinatra made them "matter"--but only because he worked his tail off. But there's that other great misconception about Sinatra's importance. What many--perhaps most--observers of the 20th century music scene tend to miss is that Sinatra's amazing accomplishment occurred mostly because of his recordings BEFORE--not after--1960. Whether or not we knew it at the time, 1960--ironically the year that Frank formed his own label Reprise--marked the turning point in American culture, art and entertainment--the elevation of youth, guitars, electronics and amateur musician-composers to unparalleled power and influence. Sinatra would make several more stellar albums before surrendering and retiring (briefly) in 1969. When he came back, his recording work was relatively sparse and undistinguished. But his concerts occurred more frequently than ever--all sold-out events, all electrifying and unforgettable--and I fortunately was there for six of them (except for the last 1990 tour, which was ill-fated from the outset). As for this recording by the Rat Pack, feel free to skip it and concentrate on building a library of 50 (minimally) Sinatra albums (mostly from Capitol--but also some Columbia and Reprise recordings). Frank missed one great song--"Lush Life" by the teen-aged prodigy, Billy Strayhorn. He tried it, but after faltering in the middle of the song he gave up on it, saying to Nelson: "Save it for later." But that was precisely the type of song Sinatra could NOT sing. Read the lyrics; listen to the Nat Cole or Johnny Hartman version. The song is about ennui, boredom, a kind of "with it," sophisticated pose of world-weariness ("Weltschmerz"). That's the one pose a compulsive straight-shooter like Sinatra couldn't even fake.

During the 30 year period after Wold War II, entertainment in America featured the talents of many very unique individuals, each exceptional with their own special abilities. They were all classic characters in their own ways, never to be duplicated. Frank Sinatra began his singing/acting career in the late 30's and would evolve into the undisputed master of music interpretation. In show business then, he was proclaimed the Chairman of the Board. Others male singers such as Sammy Davis and Dean Martin were performing at the same time and each had their own distinct ability to interpret the popular music of the day. They sang, danced, joked, and enjoyed their work with great feeling, maturity, skill, feeling for the lyrics and the ever-present attitude of emotional sincerity. These were three brilliant and talented performers.They loved and admired each other without the remotest sense of jealousy or competitiveness. Nowhere in the marvelous three decades of their being in the forefront of the entertainment scene in America was there a more extra special occasion then they brilliantly and outrageously performed together as the Rat Pack in Las Vegas. Each was at the peak of their ability. The songs were the finest, the self-depricating and audacious humor was alive at every moment. They were at their casual best, having FUN singing, dancing, joking and interacting together and we are now the beneficiaries. A most classic musical, entertainment experience captured to be enjoyed by us all, forever.

If you are a fan of The Rat Pack or merely curious about the allure of this supremely talented group of Entertainers, LIVE & SWINGIN' is a must-have CD/DVD set. Comprised of a CD featuring sparkling performances at the Villa Venice circa late 1962 and a DVD of a "Frank Sinatra Spectacular" benefit performance for Dismas Halfway House of St. Louis, Missouri in 1965, LIVE & SWINGIN' is as close to an in-person experience of The Rat Pack as we will now ever get. The ease with which Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra engage us with their multitalented singing, dancing, and clowning is legendary, and the DVD in particular makes it easy to see why. These guys loved what they did, they loved their audiences, they loved poking fun at themselves, and they loved each other. An impossibly young Johnny Carson as MC (who apologizes for standing in for Joey Bishop, the fourth member of The Rat Pack, by explaining that Joey had injured his back "bowing himself out of Frank's presence") introduces Dean, who saunters onstage, drink in hand, and immediately croons us joyfully. Dean is followed by Sammy, who describes himself as "Colored, Jewish, and half-Puerto Rican---Man, when I move into a neighborhood, I wipe it out!" Sammy's happy hoofing is succeeded by Frank's tempered phrasing, which degenerates into uproarious laughter as Dean and Sammy seize the stage, and the three go wild with half-scripted, half-ad-libbed shtick in which Sammy never gets to finish a sentence. If you can't laugh at this, you must be dead. D-E-D. The dry rot of our current culture would never allow our modern-day "stars" to spout the soooo-un-PC banter about booze, broads and Coloreds that the three trade uninhibitedly and unselfconsciously between themselves; never mind the ubiquitous cigarettes. And never mind again the fact that our current crop of narcissistic cookie-cutter celebrities wouldn't and couldn't ever share the stage and create the magic that was The Rat Pack. To hell with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. If you want to experience a true love story between men, give LIVE & SWINGIN' a double spin. And if you want to be happy, I suggest you do it every day.

A piece of the past preserved for posterity. People over 80 in the West all know who thae Rat Pack were..the good, the bad & the ugly!

Genau das: Keine Aneinanderreihung von Songs, sondern ein (nur moderat bearbeiteter) Live-Auftritt, übrigens in klanglich bestechender (Original-)Form! Für Fans ein Must-Have, für Einsteiger evtl etwas 'zu live' - dennoch, als Musik- und als Zeitdokument traumhaft. Jüngere Einsteiger holen sich aber vielleicht zunächst die Swing CD / Platte von Robin Williams ;) Schade, daß Medimops es nicht schaffte, die CD, vernünftig verpackt, unveschädigt zu liefern - das haben sie inzwischen mit Amazon gemeinsam.

Zeitnah geliefert, keine Probleme, noch nicht abgehört.

Excellent CD and great cover.

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