WIWS Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ Reviews

Review: Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim, "Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings"

May 6, 2010 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

"Tall and tan and young and handsome..." Those lyrics to Antonio Carlos Jobim's "The Boy from Ipanema" kicked off a bossa nova boom that saw virtually every noteworthy vocalist and jazz musician of the 1960s recording in the mellow Brazilian style. Frank Sinatra, though, was hardly one to follow a trend for hipness' sake. By 1967, the label he founded, Reprise, was turning its sights to Laurel Canyon and Haight-Ashbury, and the bossa craze was on the wane. Sinatra would, as always, record on his own terms. An album teaming Sinatra with Jobim himself (often called the Gershwin of bossa nova) was proposed for the label, and on January 30, 1967, sessions began for what would become Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim. That hallowed album and its shelved sequel form the basis of Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings, released this week on Concord (CRE-32026) as part of their ongoing Frank Sinatra Collection.

To these ears, Sinatra's recordings with Jobim are his finest recordings of the 1960s, and quite possibly some of his finest ever. The vocalist challenged himself to sing in a new idiom, and his soft, hushed vocals are among his most sensual and romantic. His phrasing and always-impeccable interpretive powers emphasized the wistful, longing quality of Jobim's compositions (such as a gender-reversed "Girl from Ipanema" that still stands today as one of the song's definitive renditions) as well as of some hand-picked standards rearranged to fit with the album's prevailing mood: Cole Porter's "I Concentrate on You," Irving Berlin's "Change Partners," Wright and Forrest's "Baubles, Bangles and Beads," which Sinatra infuses with great yearning. Jobim's guitar and gentle, complementary backing vocals bring his partner into a world so far-removed from Nelson Riddle's insistent brass or Gordon Jenkins' lush, sweeping strings, the LP might as well have been called Another Side of Frank Sinatra! FAS & ACJ was an instant success, even in the changing musical landscape, and work began on a belated sequel two years later. For this album, to be simply titled Sinatra/Jobim, arranger/conductor Claus Ogerman was replaced by young Brazilian star-on-the-rise Eumir Deodato as arranger and Hollywood vet Morris Stoloff as conductor. Deodato's work is slightly less relaxed than Ogerman's, a bit more swinging, but equally effective and authentic.  There are no items in Sinatra's catalogue anything like the tricky, rhythmic "Drinking Water (Aqua de Beber)" or "One Note Samba (Samba de Uma Nota So)."

But all wasn't well with this sequel. Sinatra felt great unease about 3 of the 10 songs recorded for the sequel; his "suggestion" to kill the album was of course taken seriously. Despite the presence of some beautiful songs Sinatra would make his own (such as the gorgeous, melodically complex "Wave" which he recites almost effortlessly), the album was shelved. The seven acceptable tracks would form Side 2 of a hastily-assembled album in 1972 entitled Sinatra & Company; the other side would be filled with Don Costa-arranged pop fare like "Leavin' on a Jet Plane" and "Close to You." Needless to say, one side intrigued fans far more than the other. The remaining 3 songs would trickle out over the years on foreign compilations and finally on the magnificent Complete Reprise Studio Recordings "suitcase" box set (Reprise 47045). The Concord CD marks the first time all 20 Jobim collaborations have been brought together on one disc. (The duo would record one further duet for Sinatra's 1994 Duets II, but that version of "Fly Me to the Moon" hasn't been included here.  Truthfully, it would have disrupted the vibe of the 20 recordings present.) Does Concord's new package do these recordings justice? Find out after the jump!

There is much to recommend on the new set. Foremost are the new liner notes penned by Stan Cornyn, the writer, ad man and music executive whose snappy prose set the tone for the late 1960s success of Reprise and Warner Bros. Records. Rarely has a set of liner notes been so captivating, as Cornyn places the reader as flies on the wall during the sessions, and finally provides frank details as to Sinatra's discomfort with releasing the second album. Cornyn's notes provide fair defense of Sinatra's decision, as well as delineating why those 10 songs should have eventually seen the light of day. Cornyn's patented hipster lingo is in place, which is totally appropriate for the era being described. I was literally disappointed when the copious notes concluded.  The essay is accompanied by many terrific session photos as well as the original album artwork for the abandoned album (as well as the original photo that offbeat cover was based upon.)

More controversial is the choice by Concord and Frank Sinatra Enterprises to present both albums in new mixes by Larry Walsh. (This is consistent with all of the deluxe album reissues offered by FSE of late, including My Way and Strangers in the Night.) Walsh's mixes here, as on those other releases, often extend the fades of the tracks, bring Sinatra's vocals to the fore, and expose instrumental parts he felt were buried in the mixes. As such, this release doesn't accurately represent FAS & ACJ as originally released, and as with the other releases in the FSE series, it has superceded the originals in terms of availability. Some internet Frankophiles have already released detailed lists of changes made by Walsh to the songs, including alternate vocals (largely clams by Sinatra edited from the original LP and replaced with splices from other takes) and instrumental solos, reportedly totaling 52 seconds over 4 separate tracks.

In other words: if you have the Reprise suitcase or the original, hard-to-find CD reissues of FAS & ACJ and Sinatra & Company (with 7 of the 10 tracks intended for Sinatra/Jobim), hold onto them. This new release offers alternate material which should make it essential for any Sinatra collector. For those not familiar with the original tracks, seek a used copy of the album as released, and then sample this one. The music remains among the best ever recorded by the Chairman in his long career. The arrangements are both timeless and evocative of a period of phenomenal invention in Brazilian music that is still influential. (American indie pop artist Josh Rouse in March released El Turista, a bossa-tinged album that owes much to Jobim.) The package  is top-notch, with period-style cover art, Cornyn's entertaining notes, and generally good sound courtesy of Dan Hersch's mastering. The bottom line, though, is the music; the adventurous, sensitive, romantic, stunning recordings of Messrs. Sinatra and Jobim are essential to any serious fan's library. Their re-entry into the catalog is cause for celebration.

Categories: Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Jazz, Popular Standards/Vocal Tags: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra

Avatar photo

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

Connect With Joe: FacebookTwitter

You Might Also Like

  • Prince and the Revolution Live 1Release Round-Up: Week of June 3
  • Hollywood Bowl 100Hooray for Hollywood: New Box Set Celebrates 100 Years of The Hollywood Bowl with Sinatra, Bernstein, Doors, Newman, Dudamel, More
  • Frank Sinatra WatertownSo Much Excitement to Be Found: UMe Reissues Frank Sinatra's Concept Album "Watertown"
  • StreamThe Weekend Stream: February 5, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Upcoming Releases

  • Crazy Horse All Roads Lead Home
    All Roads Lead Home
    Crazy Horse
    March 31, 2023
  • The Who With Orchestra Live at Wembley
    The Who with Orchestra Live at Wembley
    The Who
    March 31, 2023
  • The Birth of Bop
    The Birth of Bop: The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection
    Various Artists
    March 31, 2023
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,573 other subscribers

Popular

  • Rush Signals 40th
    Chemistry: Rush Revisits "Signals" For 40th Anniversary posted on March 22, 2023 | under News
  • Rick Springfield Springfield
    Call the Fire Brigade: Iconoclassic Premieres Rick Springfield's Lost 1974 Album "Springfield" in Expanded Edition posted on March 20, 2023 | under News
  • Talking Heads Stop Making Sense Deluxe 2LP
    What a Day That Was: Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense' Expanded for Vinyl, Film Reissue posted on March 17, 2023 | under News

Comments

  • small faces here come the nice2
    Return To Itchycoo Park: Small Faces' "Here Come The Nice" Deluxe Box Set Arrives In January [UPDATED 12/3] 84 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 3, 2013 | under News
  • the beatles u s albums box2
    British Invasion! The Beatles Unveil "The U.S. Albums" Box Set in January 69 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 12, 2013 | under News
  • Rolling Stones in Mono
    Out of Their Heads: Stones Plan Mono Box Set 47 comments | by Mike Duquette | posted on August 10, 2016 | under News

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popblerd
  • Popdose
  • Record Racks
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Viva La Mainstream
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Resonance Records
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2023 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy