Finished reading Stephen Sondheim's Finishing the Hat (2010), thoroughly enjoyed it, learned a lot from it, and now I'm recommending it to anyone interested in participating and/or better understanding the craft of songwriting. The book is filled with highly detailed, insightful and honest observations about his own work as well as that of others. One particularly cool thing for me is how it provides the context needed to appreciate the lyrics to the songs. For example, I don't know how many times I've heard "Send In the Clowns" or "Losing My Mind" without knowing where they fit into the larger works that they came from - not having seen A Little Night Music or Follies. This lacking, among others, has now been corrected thanks to this terrific book. Here's Sinatra doing the first one listed above, before it became a standard apparently: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJvUCDP9u0I. And here's Peggy Lee doing the latter in a way I hadn't heard before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeUvNoWyfQk&feature=related. Two great singers interpreting a songwriter appropriate to their level.

Having mentioned Elvis Presley's ballad singing yesterday, I thought I would find an example for you today, and "Love Me Tender" is as good as any. What's immediately striking to me, whenever I listen to Elvis now, is the control he had over his instrument, seemingly from the very beginning, and the astonishing resonance that it was capable of producing. It was no doubt largely informed by his knowledge of gospel singing (another example of taste being the most important attribute for a musician). Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZBUb0ElnNY.

And now have a listen to the same song (in a medley with "Witchcraft") sung by Presley and Frank Sinatra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVfXCYk0xSA. How many rock and roll singers could have done that? I think Frank speaks for all of us with his final comment in the clip: "Thank you, Elvis".

A couple of days ago, I wrote that I thought that Bill Evans is the instrumentalist who is the best reference point for listeners to hear close-to-definitive versions of standards. I think the task is tougher when it comes to singers though, because there are quite a few contenders. So I'll make it a touch easier by choosing one female, Billie Holiday, and one male, Frank Sinatra, two vocalists with a lot in common, starting with their tremendous rhythmic sophistication and phrasing. And of course, both have been emulated to such a point that when they are listened to now, the originality of their styles can be underestimated, which is unfortunate - both were trailblazers and should be heard that way. (I've said it before, but it's unfair to compare artists to what came after them - they should only be heard vis a vis what came before.) In any case, a listener who is interested in really appreciating a song can go a long way toward it by checking out the versions of one or, if possible, both of these giants. Here's "The Very Thought of You" by Holiday - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPJuFxl0bxY and Sinatra - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_V3wxwY6_Q.

In my post of September 15, 2010 I wrote about Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Only, his 1958 album arranged by Nelson Riddle and produced by Voyle Gilmore. Today, I'd like to mention another brilliant recording by the same trio, an earlier one in fact, In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning from 1955, which must be considered among the greatest albums in history. Riddle's arranging is of such originality and beauty that the album would be worth a listen for it alone. And Sinatra's work matches it on both fronts. I'm quite sure that he was one of those rare artists who inspired the very best in his collaborators, elevating them to their best moments (Miles Davis was another with that ability). The recording, though done with what would now be considered primitive equipment is, to put it simply, sparkling. I can never believe how good it sounds. And the songs, selected to show both the variety and the commonality of the experience in question, provide a cross-section of the work of some of the greatest American song-writers. Even the cover is great. It's a masterpiece, a must-hear. Here's the title track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ImGP33hcc4

Rhyme can be important to lyrics in all kinds of ways - everything from humour to ease of memorization to providing formal restrictions that paradoxically lead to creativity. But today I'd like to write about a song lyric that deliberately doesn't rhyme. "Moonlight in Vermont", by Karl Suessdorf and John Blackburn, had always puzzled me because of how its words flow perfectly without the use of any of the various types of rhyme (Wikipedia lists about fifteen, by the way). And so I took another look at the lyrics, and then I realized that there was indeed a form to them which I hadn't noticed before - the three verses are all haikus. Have a look:

Pennies in a stream

Falling leaves, a sycamore

Moonlight in Vermont

Icy finger-waves

Ski trails on a mountainside

Snowlight in Vermont

Telegraph cables, they sing down the highway

And travel each bend in the road

People who meet in this romantic setting

Are so hypnotized by the lovely...

Ev'ning summer breeze

Warbling of a meadowlark

Moonlight in Vermont

Telegraph cables, how they sing down the highway

And they travel each bend in the road

People who meet in this romantic setting

Are so hypnotized by the lovely...

Ev'ning summer breeze

The warbling of a meadowlark

Moonlight in Vermont

Why the haiku form is so powerful is another interesting question, but that'll be for another day. For now, here is Frank Sinatra's version from Come Fly with Me (1958), with a glistening arrangement by Billy May: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbrPen0tqxM.

And here is an instrumental version by the great Nat King Cole trio, from which Bill Evans fans will be able to clearly hear the influence that Cole had on Evans' playing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKB_RpYvDNM&feature=related

Frank Sinatra's Watertown (1970) is an undervalued classic. It is a song cycle (or concept album, if you prefer) written for him by Bob Gaudio (one of The Four Seasons) and Jake Holmes (most famous for writing the Led Zeppelin cornerstone, "Dazed and Confused") that deals with middle age in middle America. The story is a simple one: a wife leaves a husband and children behind, and the man goes through many emotional states as he tries to deal with it. The instrumentation is closer to rock than jazz, which is unusual for Sinatra. In fact, the sound of the album is similar to some of The Four Seasons' recordings. And it works wonderfully. It is poignant and honest, and it treats a time of life that is not considered often enough in popular music. Sinatra's performance is, as always, majestic. (Sinatra's consistency as a singer is unmatched.)

One writer said that the story is an allegory, with the wife standing in for Sinatra's audience having left him during the sixties, etc. (More detail on this is available if you search Watertown Sinatra in Wikipedia.) I'm not sure about this idea - for one thing, Sinatra didn't write the material - but if it is true, it's the audience that was wrong. Of course, we don't have to be now.

(Note to readers: I've started another blog. It's called Star of England: A Blog on Shakespeare. The link is on the right. Check it out, if you're interested.)

Here's just one of the things that is so great about listening to George Jones: Vowels are the most important sounds for a singer; notes couldn't be held without them. With George Jones, they just sound so cool. The tune that I suggested yesterday, "He Stopped Loving Her Today" (often ranked at or near the top of all-time country songs), has a great example in the chorus: Listen to the way he pronounces "her" - just amazing. There are many other songs and examples that are equally great.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I felt the best description for Jones was as the Frank Sinatra of country. I say this because both singers created a sound that is unique - strongly influenced by their time and place, and yet timeless. Also, their tremendous experience allowed them to develop a technique so strong that it's easy to overlook. The result of all their effort is a natural and personal style. But the more music I listen to, the more respect I have for them. The most obvious common ingredient is their tremendous rhythmic sense. This leads to the "size" of their voices. Try this little experiment with either singer: Play a record by another singer from the same genre, then, without touching the volume control or anything, play one by Jones or Sinatra. Well?

For those who still don't like country music, two thoughts:

1. No country music - no rock and roll.

2. As the song says (one of the greatest song titles ever, by the way): "Don't Get Above Your Raisin'".

Just a short note today regarding what I'll be writing about over the next few days. I mentioned George Jones yesterday, and have spent some time listening to the great man today. It occurred to me that a good way of describing him would be as the Frank Sinatra of country music. And then I realized that I haven't written about Frank yet, either. I'll correct those two situations very soon. I've also been remiss in not putting down some thoughts on the ne plus ultra of rock instrumentalists: Jimi Hendrix. I'll be writing about him and other great rock six-stringers, including Clapton, Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Duane Allman in the next week or so as well.

As always, my focus will be on enriching the listener's experience (I hope) with all music, by presenting the best examples I can find from my own sonic adventures. (Suggested listening: "He Stopped Loving Her Today", "All or Nothing at All", "Crosstown Traffic", "Driftin' Blues", "Born Under a Bad Sign", "Crossfire", "Stormy Monday")