The Chairman of the Board

So last night, I I was listening to Summer Wind, which lead me to the great 1984 movie The Pope of Greenwich Village, which led me back to Frank Sinatra.

If you grew up in the 50's and were Italian, you know that every house had three pictures hanging in the kitchen, and an optional fourth; Joe Dimaggio, the pope (the dour pope, Pius XII) and Frank Sinatra. The optional shot was a rather effeminate "portrait" of Jesus, but that was there only sometimes. At least in my house. Did I mention that I autographed one of those for my mom?

Anyway, Frank was, as you know, not tall, balding, thin as a rail, and not especially handsome. But the stugats on the guy.

Sinatra's songs have always been with me. He seemed to be omnipresent on TV in the 50's and early 60's, in his tux on variety shows, sometimes with Dean or Sammy. The songs; Witchcraft, I've Got You Under My Skin, The Lady Is A Tramp, etc., etc., were all confidence and swagger, smoothly sung with a phrasing that no one has yet to match. You could go to school on his stuff, and I only learned to appreciate the ease which which he did this years later. To hear him, and the seeming lack of effort, you'd think anyone could do it. Ah, I was just a kid.

I listened to The Second Time Around today with new ears. I heard the experience, the life lessons, the sadness of what precedes and lessons learned.

He knew his craft, and it showed in every freaking song. Now, his version of Mack the Knife is a bit over the top, and nobody can own the song like Darin did, but aside from that, man oh man it's all heaven.