Ol’ Blue Eyes Still Has Plenty of Mileage
by Scott L. Powers, The Times Record, August 26, 1975
Frank Sinatra at 59 is somewhat like a guaranteed 40,000-mile tire at 25,000 miles. The edge is somewhat gone, but it gets the job done almost as well as it did when it was brand new.
There is a spare tire around Sinatra’s waist, and the tread of his voice is a little worn, but the man can still sell a song better than anybody in the business. It was a grueling 95-minute show at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Monday, and after a shaky start, Sinatra gave the crowd their money’s worth.
A crowd of 7,428 braved the threatening thunderstorms to see Sinatra. SPAC officials would not say they were disappointed in the crowd size, and that the speculation that 30,000 would show was “started by a local radio station, not us.”
There have also been reports that Sinatra made up to $75,000 for his concert, but SPAC officials said it was against policy to give out any gross figures.
He casually strolled on stage just before 9:30 p.m., and launched into some old standards, including “Chicago.” But he obviously hadn’t warmed up, and it showed. He couldn’t sustain the high notes, and his grainy voice was just a little too grainy.
It took Sinatra about four songs to get it together, and from then on, he was as good as he has been for years. But more importantly, he had the crowd eating from the palm of his hand.
By the time he got to Jimmy Webb’s “Didn’t We,” Sinatra was cookin’. He did a section with the strings in the orchestra bused it from New York City, that included both the Webb tune and Beatle George Harrison’s “Something.”
From there, it was big band swing with “Nice N’ Easy,” and Sinatra was just that. He makes it look so easy up there.
“My Way,” perhaps the biggest recent hit for Sinatra, was done in fine style — as good as the record, and maybe even a touch better. It drew a standing ovation.
No Sinatra concert would be complete without some good Cole Porter material, and Sinatra’s rendition of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” was one of the high points of the evening. Again, big band style.
Two songs later, Sinatra slowed it down for “Send in the Clowns” from the play “A Little Night Music.” There are some songs that are so good, so well written, that nobody can destroy the mood. There was no worry with Sinatra. Singing from a stool, Sinatra sang the sad song the way it’s supposed to be done.
He finished with “The Lady Is A Tramp.” This is what Sinatra does best: a big band arrangement with a small range. He let all the stops out, and it was easily the best song of the night.
Sometimes labeled abusive onstage, Sinatra was a pure gentleman Monday night at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. He joked with the crowd, handled the shouters with politeness and did the job an entertainer is supposed to do: entertain.
At the end of the show, which was led off by the dancing “The Little Steps” and then comedian Pat Henry, Sinatra left a not-so-subtle hint that he’d like to be back at SPAC next year.
And that brings up another point. If SPAC officials are pleased with the way Sinatra turned out, perhaps that could pave the way for more bookings like Barbra Streisand or Liza Minnelli. SPAC was reported to have made expenses only from the Sinatra show, but the center is a non-profit organization.
If they can book Sinatra, they can get anybody.
Recent Comments