Description
Frank Sinatra was the greatest entertainer of his age, invigorating American popular song with innovative phrasing and a mastery of drama and emotion. Drawing upon interviews with hundreds of his collaborators as well as with "The Voice" himself, this book chronicles, critiques, and celebrates his five-decade career. Will Friedwald examines and evaluates all the classic and less familiar songs with the same astute, witty perceptions that earned him acclaim for his other books about jazz and pop singing. Now completely revised and updated, and including an authoritative discography and rare photos of recording sessions and performances, Sinatra! The Song Is You is an invaluable resource for enthusiasts and an unparalleled guide through Sinatra's vast musical legacy.
About the Author
Will Friedwald writes about jazz and popular music for The Wall Street Journal, where he has written the weekly column The Jazz Scene since 2010. He is the author of eight books on music and popular culture, has received ten Grammy Award nominations for album notes and production, and is internationally recognized as a leading authority on jazz and adult pop music, as well as Broadway shows, jazz and pop vocalists, big bands, and classic American pop.
Reviews
"[This] is the most important book published about Frank Sinatra to date." Terry Teachout, New York Times Book Review
"Friedwald is certainly the man for the job, with an encyclopedic knowledge of Sinatra's work and a superb gift for describing it. . . . Sinatra's career has provided the soundtrack for a good part of our [era]. And better than any previous writer, Friedwald helps to explain why." Jazz Times
"Sinatra intersected with so many of America's leading songwriters, band leaders, arrangers, and instrumentalists that a thorough exploration of his music amounts to a huge slice of American pop history. This is what Friedwald has produced in Sinatra! The Song Is You. . . . [He] brings to his topic a potent mixture of historical knowledge, musical insight, and descriptive color. The book makes a compelling case for the preeminence of [Sinatra as] an artist. . . . One's appreciation for almost any Sinatra album, even the most egregious turkeys of his later years, will be enhanced by listening to them with the author's comments close at hand." Stephen Holden, New York Times
"Musicians will appreciate the author's informed appraisals. . . . Many of the small details will fascinate Sinatra fans." Choice
"Friedwald's book is the most important and complete documentary of popular American music. . . . It shows that Sinatra alone is the president of all the popular American singers." Tony Bennett
"A man with unexcelled knowledge of American popular song, Friedwald looks intensively at the career of The Voice. . . . Along with the serious analysis there's a plentitude of great trivia. . . . This excellent volume is indispensible as a companion to Sinatra's recordings." Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Perceptive, colorful, and prodigiously researched." Publishers Weekly
"A stimulating guide to Sinatra as an artist." Los Angeles Times
Book Information
ISBN 9781613737705
Author Friedwald Will
Format Paperback
Page Count 640
Imprint Chicago Review Press
Publisher Chicago Review Press
About the Author
Will Friedwald writes about jazz and popular music for The Wall Street Journal, where he has written the weekly column The Jazz Scene since 2010. He is the author of eight books on music and popular culture, has received ten Grammy Award nominations for album notes and production, and is internationally recognized as a leading authority on jazz and adult pop music, as well as Broadway shows, jazz and pop vocalists, big bands, and classic American pop.
Reviews
"[This] is the most important book published about Frank Sinatra to date." Terry Teachout, New York Times Book Review
"Friedwald is certainly the man for the job, with an encyclopedic knowledge of Sinatra's work and a superb gift for describing it. . . . Sinatra's career has provided the soundtrack for a good part of our [era]. And better than any previous writer, Friedwald helps to explain why." Jazz Times
"Sinatra intersected with so many of America's leading songwriters, band leaders, arrangers, and instrumentalists that a thorough exploration of his music amounts to a huge slice of American pop history. This is what Friedwald has produced in Sinatra! The Song Is You. . . . [He] brings to his topic a potent mixture of historical knowledge, musical insight, and descriptive color. The book makes a compelling case for the preeminence of [Sinatra as] an artist. . . . One's appreciation for almost any Sinatra album, even the most egregious turkeys of his later years, will be enhanced by listening to them with the author's comments close at hand." Stephen Holden, New York Times
"Musicians will appreciate the author's informed appraisals. . . . Many of the small details will fascinate Sinatra fans." Choice
"Friedwald's book is the most important and complete documentary of popular American music. . . . It shows that Sinatra alone is the president of all the popular American singers." Tony Bennett
"A man with unexcelled knowledge of American popular song, Friedwald looks intensively at the career of The Voice. . . . Along with the serious analysis there's a plentitude of great trivia. . . . This excellent volume is indispensible as a companion to Sinatra's recordings." Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Perceptive, colorful, and prodigiously researched." Publishers Weekly
"A stimulating guide to Sinatra as an artist." Los Angeles Times
Book Information
ISBN 9781613737705
Author Friedwald Will
Format Paperback
Page Count 640
Imprint Chicago Review Press
Publisher Chicago Review Press
