Rating:
Genre:
Vocal Music
Release Date: 09/08/1998
Run Time: 43:59
After the
ballad-heavy
In the Wee Small Hours,
Frank Sinatra and
Nelson Riddle returned to up-tempo,
swing material with
Songs for Swingin' Lovers!, arguably the vocalist's greatest
swing set. Like
Sinatra's previous
Capitol albums,
Songs for Swingin' Lovers! consists of reinterpreted
pop standards, ranging from the ten-year-old
"You Make Me Feel So Young" to the 20-year-old
"Pennies From Heaven" and
"I've Got You Under My Skin." Sinatra is supremely confident throughout the album, singing with authority and joy. That joy is replicated in
Riddle's arrangements, which manage to rethink these
standards in fresh yet reverent ways. Working with a core rhythm section and a full string orchestra,
Riddle writes scores that are surprisingly subtle.
"I've Got You Under My Skin," with its breathtaking middle section, is a perfect example of how
Sinatra works with the band. Both swing hard, stretching out the rhythms and melodies but never losing sight of the original song.
Songs for Swingin' Lovers! never loses momentum. The great songs keep coming and the performances are all stellar, resulting in one of
Sinatra's true classics.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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