Sinatra in better form and voice

by Vinny Reda, The Times Record, August 25, 1976

It was a dynamic Frank Sinatra who strutted onto the stage of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Tuesday night.

Gone from last year were the leisure suit and paunch. It was black tie and sharpness again: a man going like 60 but not looking it. And the voice was of an earlier decade as well.

The purposeful relaxed atmosphere he established a year ago was replaced, for the most part, by an up-tempo performance. He toyed with the lyrics, and he flipped over and under melodies with no effort, a proof of his jazz ability which his recordings only subtly bear out.

The best example was “Lady is a Tramp.” He scratched it, or he cuddled it, but the power was enormous. His finish with a streamlined back kick of the leg threw many of the 7,576 in attendance (148 more people than last year) into an exuberance they would not lose.

The first part of the show was particularly pleasing, with songs like “Night and Day,” “For Once in My Life,” and “Where or When” offering trimmed-down arrangements which set off the voice even better. On “Where or When,” Sinatra sounded better than on his 1965 live recording.

Then came the ballads, with Sinatra showing he could still play 60 when he needed to. In “Imagination”: “It’s silly, you go around willy-nilly … just like I go around … wanting you.”

“Didn’t We” followed, with no better example of how his sound had improved from last season. The high notes were accompanied by a scraggly crack last year, but here he sang “that long long hard climb” with miles to spare.

If there was a problem, it may have been that Sinatra began to have too good a time. He hurt a fine “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by mumbling out a few lyrics, and he made a few wisecracks during his new theme song, *I Sing the Songs.”

One song, “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again, ” was a new one inserted into the Sinatra repertoire, and needs some work. It was in too high a key, and he was straining on the high notes, which should be done as softly as possible

But, even the occasional mistakes might be overlooked in a performer who can still give a great show while singing better than anybody at any age.

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