The Chairman Of The Board Meets Brazil's Bossa Nova Pioneer
Frank Sinatra is often dismissed as a mere 'pop' singer and critically diminished relative to his contemporaries. He's often accused of being formulaic and repetitive and not afforded the proper respect for his vocal talent. While Sinatra certainly knew what worked for him, and what kind of songs and arrangements he liked, the assertion that he didn't have the vocal 'chops' is patently unfair. Perhaps the finest example of his vocal excellence is his work with Brazilian guitarist Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Jobim is often credited with popularizing Bossa Nova music outside of Brazil. He worked with Sinatra on an album of samba tinged standards entitled Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim. The work was a critical and commercial success, and Sinatra would hold Jobim in very high regard for the rest of his life"both as a musician and as a friend. After Jobim entered a semi-retirement in the 1970s and 1980s where he did little collaboration with other artists, Sinatra would often introduce his performances of Jobim songs live by remembering his Brazilian colleague in very fond terms or expressing the hope that the two men could work together in the future.
"Wave", written by Jobim and arranged by Eumir Deodato, is among the best of all of the Sinatra/Jobim collaborations. It features some amazing vocal work by Sinatra, including perhaps the lowest notes he ever hit on a recording. It is said that for the rest of his life Sinatra would listen to "Wave" just to hear how good he sounds hitting the bass notes.
This song was to have been a featured track on a second collection of Sinatra/Jobim collaborations, but for some inexplicable reason it was never released as such.One story is that Sinatra himself nixed the release because he didn't like the cover art. The photographer that insisted on posting Sinatra in front of a Greyhound bus mayhave been responsible for depriving the world of a second collection of Sinatra with a bossa nova twist.
"Wave" finally surfaced on "Sinatra and Company" in 1970. "Wave" also appeared on the Reprise box set and of course of the "Complete Reprise Recordings" suitcase collection.
Will Friedwald, in his definitive book on Sinatra's music "Sinatra: The Song Is You" described the singer's work with Jobim as having "flexibility and delicacy, as if they could be blown about by a soft Brazilian breeze". This sensual and sultry song, in particular, is among the finest vocal work of Sinatra's amazing career. - 23812
Jobim is often credited with popularizing Bossa Nova music outside of Brazil. He worked with Sinatra on an album of samba tinged standards entitled Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim. The work was a critical and commercial success, and Sinatra would hold Jobim in very high regard for the rest of his life"both as a musician and as a friend. After Jobim entered a semi-retirement in the 1970s and 1980s where he did little collaboration with other artists, Sinatra would often introduce his performances of Jobim songs live by remembering his Brazilian colleague in very fond terms or expressing the hope that the two men could work together in the future.
"Wave", written by Jobim and arranged by Eumir Deodato, is among the best of all of the Sinatra/Jobim collaborations. It features some amazing vocal work by Sinatra, including perhaps the lowest notes he ever hit on a recording. It is said that for the rest of his life Sinatra would listen to "Wave" just to hear how good he sounds hitting the bass notes.
This song was to have been a featured track on a second collection of Sinatra/Jobim collaborations, but for some inexplicable reason it was never released as such.One story is that Sinatra himself nixed the release because he didn't like the cover art. The photographer that insisted on posting Sinatra in front of a Greyhound bus mayhave been responsible for depriving the world of a second collection of Sinatra with a bossa nova twist.
"Wave" finally surfaced on "Sinatra and Company" in 1970. "Wave" also appeared on the Reprise box set and of course of the "Complete Reprise Recordings" suitcase collection.
Will Friedwald, in his definitive book on Sinatra's music "Sinatra: The Song Is You" described the singer's work with Jobim as having "flexibility and delicacy, as if they could be blown about by a soft Brazilian breeze". This sensual and sultry song, in particular, is among the finest vocal work of Sinatra's amazing career. - 23812
About the Author:
David Glisan is a freelance writer covering MMA and boxing as well as a published expert on music as diverse as heavy metal and jazz. He contributes to many MMA news websites and provides UFC news for mainstream sports broadcast and print media. He serves as the music and entertainment editor for The Savage Science, a website covering fight sports and heavy metal music.
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