Frank Sinatra. The Chairman of the Board. Old Blue Eyes. Legend. Icon.
I grew up listening to Frank Sinatra. My dad loved him and his style of singing, particularly the uptempo big band tunes. That was my dad's era, what he grew up with. The Tommy Dorsey's and Glenn Miller's. I was indoctrinated early.
Throughout my life, and through all the music that has influenced me: rock, folk, latin, country, classical, any and every thing else, I always drift back in one way or another to Frank Sinatra. He has really been a mainstay. For a lot of reasons.
Take my dad's favorite type of music, the big bands. Frank, who started with Tommy Dorsey, defined the vocal sound of that genre. With numerous hits like "I've Got You Under My Skin", "My Kind Of Town", and "New York, New York", Frank brought big band sound alive. You can't help but snap your fingers and stamp your feet along with any of these classics.
Personally, while loving the big band tunes, I tend to drift more to the ballads. Maybe that's the songwriter in me. Songs like "It Was a Very Good Year", "Angel Eyes", "There Used to be a Ballpark", "Send in the Clowns" (see below), and so many more, are so poignant, so expressive. And then there's the song I consider to be a personal anthem, the immortal "My Way".
This is the genius of Frank Sinatra. His unique ability to interpret a song. He's the best at this, there is none better. He makes you BELIEVE the song, makes you feel it, makes you live it. Regardless of the type of song, he always accomplished this, making it believable. That's no small feat. Listening, you always feel as though he has lived everyone of the songs he sings, they are personal to him; and then you live them with him. That's pure talent and genius.
While I make no claim to a great voice, I try to incorporate Frank's interpretive style and approach in many of my songs. I'm also very conscious of this interpretation factor when I'm writing songs. I hear the vocal melody, the phrasing, the pauses, the emphasis, all of it, in my head as I write. I know how the song needs to be sung, or at least how I want it sung. Interpretation is everything in a song.
Frank Sinatra's impact has, and will continue to be, a big influence in my songwriting and vocal approach.
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