Christmas Feast With Some New Goodies!

My four-year-old granddaughter Emily still doesn't realize it . . . but her favorite lyricist is Johnny Mercer. We've been singing songs like "I Remember You" and "I Thought About You" each night after prayers since she was only two. Now, thanks to this (her new, favorite Christmas CD) Emily will be singing Irving Berlin's seasonal classics (both of them included here).



Last night I took Emily and her seven-year-old brother Thomas to see "The Polar Express." On the way home, in the darkness of her father's car, and with the first blizzard of the season bearing down on the "world's 'coldest major city" (according to the U.S. Consular service) the little lady treated us to a-chorus-or-ten of "Felice Navidad" (or as she has re-Christened Jose's Yuletide treasure: "Felice nany-mah.")



Later, in between her sips of hot chocolate-with-floating-pink-marshmallows, (and while grandpa cursed his way around the front window with the last string of colored lights) my little, blue-eyed angel added or adjusted the last of our Christmas tree ornaments -- while listening to Frank Sinatra sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Emily immediately recognized Frank's version on this CD as the very same one she'd heard only an hour before at "The Polar Express." In the movie Frank's rendition of the song is given pride-of-place -- underscoring the very climax of the movie - at the arrival of Santa to a thunderous welcome from the elves. Emily was entranced.



And so here we are, on the eve of the anniversary of Frank Sinatra's birth. There is the requisite roaring fire sheltering us against the snow (that just turned to freezing rain); and, with genuine French champagne in our veins, we are luxuriating in the sounds of this, the best ever Frank Sinatra Christmas compilation.



To borrow a line from the opening track of Irving Berlin's `other' Christmas classic [both are here, including a duet with Bing, on Crosby's all-time (secular) Christmas best seller]



"I can't remember a worse December, just watch those icicles form . . .

What do I care if icicles form? I've got my love to keep me warm . . ."



----



I acquired this CD only yesterday. I'd been walking out the door of a big department store and suddenly pulled up - unable to believe my ears: A `new' Sinatra song! Even hearing it through a tinny little ceiling speaker, I could appreciate its rare beauty. I knew in an instant this song, obviously titled "Christmas Memories" had been arranged by the late Don Costa (who in my book is second only to Robert Farnon as the "greatest string arranger" of the previous century).



So there I stood in the doorway at Sears as if transfixed - being slip-streamed by other shoppers, while I savored every note of this `new song' "Christmas Memories" -- before heading right back into the store to find this album which contained this precious gift to Sinatra fans. Someday, if she cares about such things, I'll tell Emily that this one was actually composed, not simply arranged, by Don Costa - and that the lyric was penned by multiple Academy Award nominees and `Best Song' Oscar-winners "The Bergmans" (Marilyn and Alan - who wrote so many magnificent songs with Michel Legrand and other composers).



They were specially commissioned to compose the words for this Sinatra `single,' released in November of 1975 -- and never recorded by any other singer. Included incidentally later on this CD is the song that made the flip side of this single, recorded October 24, 1975 titled "A Baby Just Like You" (words and music by John Denver and Joe Henry). The liner notes imply that the singer - then a new Grandpa --- personalized the lyrics, (otherwise devoted to the true sanctity of Christmas celebration) -with words of greeting to his granddaughter Angela. It's a more pedestrian tune, elevated (as usual) by a perfectly fitting Don Costa arrangement -- and with words that would tear at the heartstrings of any Grandpa:



"A Savior King was born that day,

A baby just like you . . .

And as the Magi came with gifts,

I've come with my gift too . . .

That you may know the warmth of love

And wrap it all around you . . .

Merry Christmas little Angela

Merry Christmas everyone!"



The CD's next track, "Whatever Happened to Christmas?" -- another delightfully evocative arrangement by Don Costa -- was (according to the informative liner notes by James Ritz) first heard on the "Sinatra Family Christmas" album of 1969.



Frank sings the next track "White Christmas" as a duet with Bing Crosby. This "previously unreleased" rendition was first seen on a "Frank Sinatra Show" televised the night of December 20, 1957. Sinatra's favorite arranger Nelson Riddle conducts the orchestra; from the days of live television, its apparent the two old friends hadn't really rehearsed the song; The two are out of sync more than once, and never stray from strict unison singing--- as if each performer felt the other should take on the harmony line - so neither did!



The last track on this CD - the previously unreleased "Silent Night" - will be profoundly emotional for all of us who've watched our father grow more old and frail. Daughter Nancy recalls that, on the afternoon of the recording (August 21, 1991) "It was an emotional (time) because he was doing it for the children" (intended as a fund-raiser for one of Nancy's charities). "He was," she says "not feeling good that day and it was difficult for him to record. I hear the weakness and the frailty in his voice, and it is so sweet and tender that it is just heart-wrenching."



The emotional effect is deeply magnified by a new Johnny Mandel arrangement, commissioned especially for this 2004 release by producer Charles Pignone. The latter assembled some of Sinatra's favorite musicians as the orchestra's core, including Sinatra's pianist since the 50s Bill Miller (on celeste), as well as guitarist Al Viola and percussionist Larry Bunker (whose credits on drums included a stint with Bill Evans).



Longtime Sinatra associate Terry Woodson is given the `last word' in the perfect liner notes: "Right before it started" (this year's recording of the orchestral supplement to the `Silent Night' recording of 1991) "I said to Al Schmitt" (a legendary figure among the great recording engineer's of Hollywood) "that there is so much tension in (this) room, you'd expect `The Old Man' to walk in."



In a very real way Frank Sinatra has done just that: walked back into the lives of his fans . . . with a little posthumous help from those who knew and loved him best-bestowing on us a real lasting and Yuletide gift -- what is certain to be a perennial, Christmas favorite for young and old.



Emily will be presented with her very own copy -- to help deck the halls of Christmas's-yet-to-come . . . inscribed by the funny old man she used to call `Grumpa.' And perhaps she'll think of him when she hears the closing words of the song that was his favorite here:



" . . . I close my eyes and see . . .

Shiny faces, of all the children

Who now have children of their own . . .

Funny, but comes December

And I remember

Every Christmas

I've Known."

Comfort music

To this day I still think Frank Sinatra's voice is the one I hunt through my cd's to find when I need something audio-cozy.



His voice is still the most recognizeable, unmistakeable sound to my ears. The best version of "The Christmas Waltz" is his. Without a pause he could then sing something so silly like "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" then something so religiously moving like "The Little Drummer Boy" and then just easily swing into something so uptempo and fun like "We Wish You the Merriest." I love the inclusion of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" and "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." However, the most moving track of all is the oh so gentle age but still so emotionally strong sound in his voice for the final track "Silent Night."



This cd was beautifully put together. I also recommend "Christmas with the Rat Pack" for some Dean Martin favorites too.

Not the best or happiest

As a long-time fan of Sinatra from over the pond, I've never thought that he was that interested in Christmas, or at least the seasonal songs of Christmas. His album for Capitol was OK, but not up there with the likes of Nat Cole, or Perry Como, or even Dean Martin. This collection from Warners doesn't do much to change my mind.



It has been gathered from a number of sources, including a 1964 album with Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, one from 1968 with his family, a one-off Christmas single, un-released snippets from a 1957 TV show, and a recording of "Silent Night", for charity, in 1991.



Highlights are "The Christmas Waltz", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". The numbers with Fred Waring and chorus are good too, although on some of them there's precious little Sinatra solo; in fact "Go Tell It On The Mountain" is nearly all Bing Crosby.



Crosby takes the lion's share of the three short duets taken from the 1957 TV show - Sinatra joins in, reluctantly and out of time, at the end. The family album must have sounded a good idea at the time, but the songs now sound toe-curlingly embarassing. And he sounds distinctly uncomfortable singing "Little Drummer Boy".



"Christmas Memories", a single from 1975, is a maudlin tune, reminiscent of "I Will Drink The Wine", belying the lyric about stringing popcorn and cookies baking in the kitchen, and by this time Sinatra's voice was well beyond its prime, and sounds it.



"Silent Night" was originally recorded with just piano accompaniment, for charity in 1991; it has had an orchestral arrangement by Johnny Mandel added to it now. Daughter Nancy admits, in the booklet and the DVD, that he was unwell and had to be coaxed (to put it kindly) to do it. I cannot describe how painful it is to listen to this track - he's struggling for breath and it was clearly torture for him; I was just glad he made it through to the end.



The "bonus" DVD, all seven minutes of it, has soundbites from members of the family, Johnny Mandel and the Sinatra alumni, gathered to record the orchestral backing for "Silent Night", then the recording itself, with very brief flashes of a young Sinatra and a Christmas tree.



Throughout all of this the orchestral backing, arrangements and production are as good as you expect with any Sinatra recording; with the involvement of Nelson Riddle, Jack Halloran and Johnny Mandel they couldn't be anything else. It is Sinatra's vocal input that falls short in many ways, which is a shame. I prefer to remember him at his peak, rather than trying to eke out one last song in the twilight of his years.