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Monday, September 28, 2015

Frank Sinatra: I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' with Sammy Davis Jr. and Chita Rivera

The 1934 opera Porgy and Bess was the George Gershwin's masterwork and personal obsession. Gershwin wrote it mostly on location in South Carolina. It was based off the book and play Porgy by DuBose Heyward.  Heyward and Ira Gershwin both contributed to the lyrics and book of Porgy and Bess. 
Porgy and Bess: George, DuBose and Ira

It may not be summer time right now, but Mark covered Porgy and Bess' Summertime. Mark's review She Likes A Gershwin Tune of Martha Bayles' Hole in Our Soul remains as just as relevant today. These pieces gives some excellent background on George Gershwin's work on Porgy and Bess.


Frank recorded this version on the Nelson Riddle arranged album A Swinging' Affair in 1957.

Sammy Davis Jr. does a great job with his take of the song from 1957 album Boy Meets Girl. This album was arranged by Buddy Bergman (who was Jule Styne's nephew).

Pope Francis and Chita Rivera

Not the best vocals on this one below, but Chita Rivera does a sizzling dance rendition on the Judy Garland Show, and for the time period the camera work is especially good (this was probably 1964):




Bob completed his top 100 Sinatra songs and his top selections are top notch. Bob is not stopping, listing the top 10 Sinatra albums up through Frank's birthday, starting with this one at #10.


Fitting for all the lunar talk this weekend, Mark has Moonlight In Vermont (a wonderfully lovely song which Pundette, Bob, and myself all had too). Mark also has It's All Right With Me and Autumn Leaves (Mark does a wonderful job explaining and contrasting Mercer's lyrics to the original French version). Mark also talks about Mohammed and the Movies (wow). That is a must read (you will never look at Halloween the same way again) and After the Balls.


I had the jazz standard Indian Summer with bonus Michele Carey. Given Mark's post a Cole Porter Indian Summer classic It's All Right With Me I posted the Can Can film clip of that performance along with the lovely Juliet Prowse. I added Sinatra and Day singing a terrific version of Take Me Out To The Ball Game in remembrance of Yogi Berra's passing.  And I think I collected links to most of the autumn themed Sinatra songs I previously posted in recognition of the autumn equinox. I also had Frank and the Kessler Twins for Oktoberfest. And the bittersweet The Shadow of Your Smile.

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