A while back I mentioned a radio station that streamed old school Vegas style music and ever since I’ve been on a crooner kick. To keep me company on the road, I 
picked up a bunch of Rat Pack albums for my iPod. I can’t get enough of their Live In St. Louis album which was actually filmed and on the DVD Live and Swingin’ (which I can’t wait to get).
What continues to mesmerize me about these performers is the way they effortlessly compliment each other. A smooth blending of voices, the playful antics of their onstage joking and ad-libbing which only come from countless shows together. It’s not so much a bunch of A list performers belting out tunes, but good friends having a great time onstage and entertaining the hell out of the audience in the process.
Truly these men couldn’t have been anything other than performers. Dean’s ease with the audience, making them laugh like old pals hanging out, Frank’s command presence, destined to be on the stage and Sammy’s well mannered interactions coupled with an unassuming yet amazing talent. Every single one of them incredibly talented in their own right, but combined they reach levels that we’re still talking about now.
I’m having such a hard time finding anyone in the modern music scene that even comes close to this kind of synergy. Collaborations, duets or songs “featuring” other artists rarely have this kind of melding of styles. Usually it’s one artist doing their thing on another’s song with no effort to combine the styles, just showcase themselves in this mini cameo. Revival acts try to cash in on nostalgia without bringing anything else to the table. Actually, now that I think about it, other than the odd duet album I don’t remember any other combination of modern singers. Seems the solo act reigns supreme these days.
Pretty soon I’m going to have listened to ALL of their stuff, so can anyone recommend new artists with the same feel?
Related posts: (Auto Generated)
- Songs that Strike a Chord Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot...
- Music Unobscured My musical tastes are varied to say the least. On...
- Beyond the Sea (2004) The theme continues as I dive into crooner films. Listening...
- Cuban Nomad: Year One One year ago I started shooting my thoughts out onto...
- What happened to taking chances? During a lazy weekend conversation, my girl asked “Why don’t...
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Ah if we could only go backwards…..At least just to the better things from the era. Big bands w/the orchestras a blaring. Where when people went out for the evening it was dressed with class instead of slut and ghetto thug. There was this beauty in the music. The crisp tone to a voice that when the singer opened there mouth you felt the emotion even before the note was sung.
If this time ever shows a comeback it will be a great day!
Until then it’s just a collection of memories and a look at beautiful times….
I wish those days would come back. Louis Prima, The Rat Pack, Peggy Lee, real singers and actual shows, not a bunch of crap. You could go out for dinner and a show, real entertainment. The “Clubs” today totally suck, music that is no more than a mere bass line and vacuous people with absolutely no class.