Surprises

The Concert Sinatra; Frank Sinatra

I got two wonderful surprises last week both within a minute of each other. As we pulled out of Betty’s Pies, 1633 Highway 61 near Two Harbors, Minnesota, on the north shore of Lake Superior, (Surprise #1 in 4 … 3 … 2 … ) Mom said, “I’d like to listen to some Frank Sinatra.”

WHHHAAAAAAAAAATTT?!?!?!?

I thought you didn’t like Sinatra. “Well, I haven’t heard him in a long time. Do you have any on your iPod?” Well, certainly, I do.

Before heading out on my vacation, I had installed an interface that hooked up with my Sirius XM Satellite Radio connection on my radio. Now I can listen to my iPod through the Bose speakers in my Chevy Trailblazer.

I quickly wheeled through my albums to find “The Concert Sinatra”, the classiest Sinatra album of them all, in my humble opinion. I started the first track, turned to my niece, M., in the back seat and said, I’m sorry about the old folks music. (Surprise #2 in 4 … 3 … 2 …) “That’s okay. I like Frank Sinatra.”

WHHHAAAAAAAAAATTT?!?!?!?

My niece’s stock increased immediately, by approximately sixty-five percent. When I was her age, I think I had HEARD of Frank Sinatra. I weep for the younger generations just a little bit less because of her casual remarks.

I always figured that the nickname “Chairman of the Board” referred to Frank Sinatra as the eternal big shot. But, as it turns out, when he started his own recording label, Reprise, in order to allow more artistic freedom in his recordings, Sinatra was, truly, founder and “Chairman of the Board”. How ‘bout that? You learn something knew ….

Nelson Riddle, Sinatra’s frequent arranger and conductor, considered “The Concert Sinatra” to be the finest album from the Reprise years. I concur.

Credits: To Nelson Riddle, orchestrator extraordinaire. Great charts, man. And to Betty's Pies. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm. Pie.