Track Listing

1. Pennies from Heaven
2. Please Be Kind
3. (Love Is) The Tender Trap
4. Looking at the World Through Rose Colored Glasses
5. My Kind of Girl
6. I Only Have Eyes for You
7. Nice Work if You Can Get It
8. Learnin' the Blues
9. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Write Myself a Letter)
10. I Won't Dance

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #132747 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Album Description
Out of print in the U.S.! The first of three albums that Frank Sinatra recorded with Swing legend Count Basie, this title is also the best. 10 tracks including 'Pennies From Heaven', 'I Only Have Eyes For You' and '(Love Is) The Tender Trap'.

Amazon.com
The first of three albums that Frank Sinatra recorded with swing legend Count Basie, Sinatra-Basie is also the best. Sinatra's voice doesn't sound in great shape, but he pushes himself throughout to keep up with the jazzy twists and turns of Basie's band; the resulting tension makes for a thrilling listening experience, especially for those who think of Sinatra as more of a saloon balladeer than a jazz singer. "Learnin' the Blues," "I Only Have Eyes for You" and "(Love Is) the Tender Trap" are the highlights of the set, but all ten of the tracks are winners. --Dan Epstein

Customer Reviews

Indispensable Sinatra
If I had to pick my favorite of all of Sinatra's albums, this would be a strong contender. It's the one that hooked me on the swingingest vocalist of all time (Sonny Payne, Basie's legendary drummer, once said Frank was the only singer who could make him swing) at a time when my college roommates were into Beatlemania. From the very first song, "Pennies from Heaven," especially after his melodic alteration of the second chorus, you'll understand why Sinatra was winning all of the Downbeat jazz polls at this time. There's the bel canto, "operatic" Sinatra (try "The Concert Sinatra"); the intimate, torch-singing Sinatra (try "Only the Lonely"; the swinging Sinatra, whose affinities are with the greatest jazz instrumentalists ever. If you want the best representation of this third Sinatra, no album of Frank's (even "Songs for Swinging Lovers") can top this one, the first recorded love affair between Sinatra and Basie. The bit of roughness in the voice here no distraction (as it is on "The Main Event")-- merely an expressive "edge" (like a Coleman Hawkins' sax solo).

Sinatra with Basie
This is a must album for any Sinatra / Basie fan. I've been listening to this album for over 30 years and it's still one of my favorites. I literally wore out two vinyl albums and now have it on CD. Whenever I listen to other Sinatra studio albums with a few of these same tunes on them they sound flat. Basie's presence gives these songs a vibrant, jumping sound that's incredible. His big band pushes Frank and the result is just fantastic. Another Sinatra/Basie album titled,"It might as well be Swing" is a good follow up purchase to add to your collection. You can't go wrong with either album. I have swayed many of my past combo bandmembers into listneing to big bands by first turning them onto both of these albums. You won't be disappointed with either of these two Sinatra / Basie Cd's.

Frank and Splank Crank it Out
Sinatra and Basie...a winning combination! If you are a Sinatra listener, make sure to invest in each possible collaboration with Basie. From "Live at the Sands", to "It Might As Well Be Swing", you'll enjoy the excitement and the energy of the Basie band backing the hippest singer in the business. Sinatra's timing and feel is the quintessential foundation for our popular music. You'll love the first take of "Pennies from Heaven". Listen for the clam in the trombones. The studio master recordings show that this wasn't the band's best take, but it was Sinatra's. Who had the final say? The boss who owned the recording studio (Reprise) and paid the bills, folks!

Enjoy this 'must buy' and remember to check out other Sinatra sites for more inside information. Ed O'Brien's "Sinatra 101" is a great resource, too.