Search - Frank Sinatra :: Sinatra At The Sands

The Chairman's Vegas Act

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 08/09/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This appears to be the favorite album of many who count themselves as members of the Board or rat-pack wannabes. Indeed, I find it a pleasurable album, a taste of Vegas before it deserted genuine cabaret in favor of Disney family fare, white tigers, and sheer synthetic excess. However, the album really isn't that great a representation of Sinatra the artist. He is in only fair voice, some of the arrangements normally given to symphony orchestra are awkwardly transcribed for the Basie band, and much of the recording is taken up with Sinatra's verbal patter and attempts at humor (which is best experienced in person). I heard Sinatra in better voice at concerts he gave in the 70s and 80s than in this 60s night club setting.There are some fine moments on the album ("Don't Worry About Me," for example), and Sinatra's recognition of composers of songs and acknowledgement of the band members' contributions reveals his sensitivity to purely musical values. But for a better live, concert date, check out the sextet session, "Live in Paris," or the album made with Red Norvo in Australia. Or if you want to hear both Sinatra and Basie at their very best, pick up their first studio session on Reprise, "Sinatra and Basie." If you remain unconvinced, try to obtain the original album instead of this remastered edition, which includes the previously unreleased "Luck Be a Lady." For some reason, he's struggling with his phrasing and vowel sounds on a song that he normally owns. This version should have been destroyed."

SINATRA CONCERT MASTERPIECE~BRAVO FRANK!!!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 09/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sinatra singing superb in Concert at The Sands with Count Basie And THE Orchestra arranged and conducted by no less than Quincy Jones and it really doesn't get better than this! Opening with a hot sounding Basie band, Frank smoothly launches into a superb "Come Fly With Me", then an engaging and fun "I've Got A Crush On You" and onto a killer version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" that finds Frank at his sophisicated and soulful best!!! Torch time is sublime with a richly sung "The Shadow Of Your Smile" then to a riveting "Street Of Dreams" that shows why Sinatra is King!! Four A.M. in a saloon and the master serves a classic "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) and the audience goes crazy for this masterpiece!!! Sinatra is incredible throughout this legendary event and swings "Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) like it was never swung before and you can feel the excitement from the audience and the great time they were having. Mr. Sinatra's fun monologues were thankfully left in and what special moments these are that never grow tired taking us back to another time and space in a very special way...Frank does a routine that is fun and funny about his friends Dean and Sammy that are priceless...Frank had just turned 50 and gives a personal view that is revealing and highly entertaining flowing into the definitive version of "You Make Me Feel So Young" that is so brilliantly sung showing the master at his absolute peak in magnificent voice!!! Basie does a gorgeous "All Of Me" then Frank returns with a hauntingly brilliant "The September Of My Years" that is amazing. A hot cooker "Get Me To The Church On Time" is another amazing vocal as is the stunning "It Was A Very Good Year". Frank Sinatra is so great in this concert making this event the male equilivant of "Judy At Carniege Hall" which is the other legendary concert album from the great musical sixties! "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" is another masterpiece in a remarkable collection which finds Frank so loose and soulful and it is clear that the audience is having a great time and so will you! Basie does a mesmerizing "Makin' Whoopee!" then Sinatra returns and nails classics such as the swinging "Where Or When", a haunting "Angel Eyes", and a soulfully sung "My Kind Of Town" which all show the master at his captivating best! This musical journey is the greatest concert performance released in Frank Sinatra's long and brilliant career..BRAVO Frank and we miss you!!! This masterpiece is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys vocal artistry at its peak in a live concert setting..."

Frank Sinatra and Count Basie's Orchestra, circa April 1966

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 04/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Sinatra at the Sands," recorded in April 1966, was the first Frank Sinatra concert to be released commercially. Sinatra is singing with Count Basie and his Orchestra, which was conducted by Quincy Jones. As you would expect, this is classic Sixties Sinatra, putting on a show for the Las Vegas crowd performing the songs you would expect the man to sing, starting big with "Come Fly With Me" and finishing even bigger with "My Kind of Town." The best of these tracks are "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Come Fly With Me," where the arrangements for the Basie Orchestra are arguably an actual improvement over the original recordings. However, when Sinatra goes to his repetoire of saloon songs the results are more mixed; after all, he is singing in a really big room. One of my all time Sinatra favorites, "It Was a Very Good Year" is a bit disappointing for me, but this is offset by his performance of "Angel Eyes." Sinatra's between song banter displays the expected level of charm, although the mavens of political correctness will wince several times while listening to some of the jokes in his rather long monologue. "Sinatra at the Sands" offers up almost an hour of live singing from Ol' Blue Eyes, once you subtract the talking, and shows that there are a few songs (e.g., "Luck Be a Lady Tonight") that you might actually prefer to hear Sinatra sing live. Final Note on Album Notes: The album notes by Stan Cornyn won the 1966 Grammy for Album Notes, his second year in a row for winning that award for a Sinatra album (See: "September of My Years"). Do they still give out that particular Grammy? Anyhow, I was vasilating between 4 and 5 stars for this review, but those album notes tip the scale up for sure."