[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hxibHJOE5E]
Nobody swings like Frankie! This is one of my absolute favorite tunes that he recorded. It captures that confidence that defined him and the rest of the Rat Pack. Sinatra wasn't the first to record the song, and it's become a jazz standard, so, he will be far from the last. His version is the definitive one in pop culture, though. He knew exactly how to make it his own and sell it.
The song was originally written in 1954 by Bart Howard. It was first performed at the Blue Angel club in Manhattan. Howard was the MC at the club, and singer Felicia Sanders performed the song shortly after he wrote it. It garnered further exposure on The Ed Sullivan Show when performed by Peggy Lee. Since then, it's been recorded by numerous artists and is still performed regularly today.
The first recording I personally heard of the song included Sinatra, but it was on an album far from what one might consider jazz. When I was in high school, my mom purchased the George Strait box set, Strait Out of the Box. One of the bonus tracks included on the set's fourth disc was a duet by Strait and Sinatra performing this song. I fell in love with it right away.That version is so crisp, clean, and the horns are so full, and you still get the smooth vocals of Sinatra mixed with something new. It's not available on YouTube, but if you get the chance, check it out.
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