THE BEST IS YET TO COME ON SINATRA’S BIRTHDAY
Frank Sinatra was not only one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century, but he was arguably the greatest singer as well, recording more than 1,500 songs. His extraordinary interpretative genius and the way he could rescue some songs from obscurity and extend the life of others have been written about and celebrated even years after his death in 1998. This year, his legacy is keener than ever. This Saturday, December 12, 2015, marks the 100th anniversary of Francis Albert Sinatra’s birth, and tributes, fetes, TV specials, and concerts are going off like fireworks. The kid from Hoboken—a.k.a The Voice, Ol’ Blue Eyes, Chairman of the Board, The Sultan of Swoon—left an impactful legacy that still inspires today (the Pasadena POPS’ tribute included the best work ever from Michael Feinstein).
In my mind, one of the greatest things about Sinatra was his extraordinary graciousness. Not only would he mention the songsmiths responsible for his hit tunes but he tossed laurels to the arrangers as well. Who the hell does that these days?
And no one understands how supportive Sinatra was to fellow musicians than John Pizzarelli, who opened for Frank Sinatra during his final international tour. I have seen Pizzarelli perform a number of times, and I wonder if he didn’t pick up something about performing style and song interpretation during that amazing time: The son of jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli not only has an amazingly congenial presence but he’s a true connoisseur of American song (he also hails from New Jersey).
This Saturday, the actual date of Sinatra’s birthday, this jazz guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter is putting together a big band for a swinging centennial named after one of Pizzarelli’s most popular CDs: Dear Mr. Sinatra. Make no mistake, Pizzarelli is not imitating Sinatra—having developed his own signature swinging song interpretations, he doesn’t need to.
As if this in-demand player and a band isn’t enough, vocalist Monica Mancini (daughter of composer Henry Mancini) and singer/songwriter Cheyenne Jackson (of Broadway and Glee fame) will be on board as well at the Valley Performing Arts Center, the snazzy venue with the greatest acoustics in Los Angeles. And get this dudes and chicks, it ain’t part of Pizzarelli’s tour dates—this is a one-time only concert. See you there, cats.
photos courtesy of VPAC
John Pizzarelli:
Dear Mr. Sinatra, A Swinging Centennial
featuring Monica Mancini and Cheyenne Jackson
Valley Performing Arts Center
18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge
Saturday, December 12, 2015, at 8:00
for tickets, call 818.677.3000 or visit VPAC
