Sinatra Jr. to serenade U.
Son of late music legend to perform in concert with Rutgers Jazz Ensemble
Keith Carne / Contributing Writer
Issue date: 4/9/07 Section: Page One
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Frank Sinatra Jr., son of acclaimed vocalist Frank Sinatra, has spent his professional career honoring the rich musical traditions of our country by performing and conducting pieces from the so-called "Great American Songbook."
These timeless pieces encompass everything from jazz standards to songs of the romantic period - which date back to the 1800s - and transcend the generational barrier that often separates musical taste, he said.
Sinatra Jr. will step out of the bright lights of the Las Vegas and Atlantic City showrooms, and into Nicholas Music Center on Douglass campus for a concert tomorrow evening, beginning at 8 p.m. He will be performing and conducting classic swing pieces from composers and arrangers Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nelson Riddle and others, alongside the Rutgers Jazz Ensemble, with some "core members" of Sinatra Jr.'s jazz orchestra.
Raised under the musical tutelage of some the greatest musicians and composers in American music, Sinatra Jr. grew up in an environment surrounded by music. His introduction to conducting - like his introduction to singing - was somewhat conversely accidental.
On a job years ago, the 17 musicians hired to play in his band could barely fit on the venue's undersized stage. The pianist, who was usually responsible for leading the ensemble, was stuck in the back of the stage, out of view of the majority of the band.
"The conductor had to be that one person who everyone in the band could see, and the only one person that everyone could see was the guy out front," Sinatra Jr. said. "And that person was me. With my one hand I was throwing down beats and counting measures. And from there, it just blossomed."
Sinatra Jr. took such a liking to conducting that he soon found himself conducting symphonies, eventually rising to the rank of musical director of Sinatra Sr.'s ensemble and keeping the job for seven years until Sinatra Sr.'s untimely death in 1998.
Sinatra Jr. recalled conducting shows for Sinatra and personally seeing the impact of the Sinatra sound on audiences of all ages.
These timeless pieces encompass everything from jazz standards to songs of the romantic period - which date back to the 1800s - and transcend the generational barrier that often separates musical taste, he said.
Sinatra Jr. will step out of the bright lights of the Las Vegas and Atlantic City showrooms, and into Nicholas Music Center on Douglass campus for a concert tomorrow evening, beginning at 8 p.m. He will be performing and conducting classic swing pieces from composers and arrangers Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nelson Riddle and others, alongside the Rutgers Jazz Ensemble, with some "core members" of Sinatra Jr.'s jazz orchestra.
Raised under the musical tutelage of some the greatest musicians and composers in American music, Sinatra Jr. grew up in an environment surrounded by music. His introduction to conducting - like his introduction to singing - was somewhat conversely accidental.
On a job years ago, the 17 musicians hired to play in his band could barely fit on the venue's undersized stage. The pianist, who was usually responsible for leading the ensemble, was stuck in the back of the stage, out of view of the majority of the band.
"The conductor had to be that one person who everyone in the band could see, and the only one person that everyone could see was the guy out front," Sinatra Jr. said. "And that person was me. With my one hand I was throwing down beats and counting measures. And from there, it just blossomed."
Sinatra Jr. took such a liking to conducting that he soon found himself conducting symphonies, eventually rising to the rank of musical director of Sinatra Sr.'s ensemble and keeping the job for seven years until Sinatra Sr.'s untimely death in 1998.
Sinatra Jr. recalled conducting shows for Sinatra and personally seeing the impact of the Sinatra sound on audiences of all ages.