Pro singer of The Great American Songbook, Frank Lamphere, after having finished recording his album Now, THAT’S Amore in mid-2021, set out to create an entirely different studio project, an homage to none other than Frank Sinatra.
Wow!.....Now that's original!.....Who'd a thought?.....
Yeahhh righhht!.....How'd he ever come up with that one?
One could easily imagine a reader's earned sarcasm.
Rather than another typical Frank Sinatra tribute (there are tons), this would be a tribute to fifteen songs that Frank Sinatra had recorded over his monumental and genre-defining sixty-year career. For many Sinatra aficionados out there, “Frank” is a genre, all its own. “Hey, what are you doing?” Response “Listening to some Frank”.
Starting with the premise that no singer can equal, let alone surpass the quality of Frank Sinatra’s beloved recordings and in order to not invite comparisons, Lamphere selected a group of these songs and gave them fresh interpretations. He aptly named this album Frank Songs, My Way.
Lamphere admits that had he recorded this album earlier in his career, he may not have been capable of doing much with these tunes, that hadn’t already been done. The experience a singer or musician receives from performing hundreds even thousands of times in front of audiences in clubs and concert halls, from making recordings and all of the self-analysis that goes with that; over an extended number of years, are essential to developing a unique interpretive musical style. Lamphere felt ready for the task.
Coming up with the content of this album, was accomplished in three steps.
Step one, obviously, was to select “Sinatra” recorded songs. There were more than 1200 to choose from. Both studio recordings and live versions were considered. "The Shadow of Your Smile" while this great standard was often accepted as a Tony Bennett song, but since it was included on the 1966 Sinatra at the Sands LP, for album consideration purposes, it’s a “Frank” song.
Step two, given the sheer magnitude to which these Sinatra performances have engrained themselves in listeners’ hearts and minds over the decades, Lamphere’s versions needed to be very distinctive from those. Not just different, for-the-sake-of being different. Lamphere's versions had to have their own character. Most often this was accomplished by altering the key from Sinatra's, changing time signatures and adjusting tempos and feel. As in the case of the iconic “Fly Me To the Moon”. The Quincy Jones arrangement of “Fly Me” that Sinatra recorded, was a mid-tempo, swinger. Lamphere dropped the key signature a half-step to B major and reverted it to a waltz (It’s original 1954 form). Like most of Lamphere's jazz recordings to date, he extends the form to allow soloing, allowing the listener to luxuriate in the song, for a bit longer. Reedman (Count Basie Band alumnus) Eric Schneider and vaunted Chicago pianist Jeremy Kahn are featured soloists on Fly Me To the Moon.
The third and absolute hard-rule for album inclusion was an affinity Lamphere had to have for the song. Frank had no desire to record songs of which he wasn’t highly familiar with and to which he didn't absolutely enjoy. Even though these arrangements would differ greatly from the “Frank” versions, they will have been frequently present in Lamphere's live shows. A good example is “Strangers in the Night”; one Frank's childhood favorites. The 1966 Sinatra chart dominating pop-rock song, was here transformed into a sensual, late-night, jazzy love ballad. A different song entirely!
Lamphere's goal was to stay as far away as possible from Sinatra. Offer great alternate versions of that magical repertoire that would be acceptable to Sinatra fans.
The song My Way is the lead track on the album. My Way is an anthem of self-determination. Check out this interesting and informative article from NPR on Frank Sinatra's recording of My Way
"Frank Songs, My Way is a highly enjoyable and easily recommended set of classic music done Frank Lamphere’s way" - Jazz historian & author Scott Yanow
Interesting notes about the October 25 & 27 recording session
1. The second session had to be moved to the following day (10/27) due to a broken piano key. The key (middle C) was found depressed when we showed up to record on the morning of October 26. Turned out there was some warpage in a critical area that was most likely exacerbated by the cold humid air that entered each time the main entrance to the studio was opened.
2. Bassist Mark Sonksen (Oct 25) played a one hundred year old upright bass, that had not only, formerly belonged to legendary bassist Eldee Young but that was used on several prolific recordings including 1965's The In Crowd, while with the Ramsey Lewis Trio.
"He avoids copying him and, while many of these standards are closely associated with Sinatra, Lamphere comes up with fresh interpretations that uplift the material"
- Scott Yanow
Frank Lamphere and his associates entered the Crystall Recorders Studio in Lombard, Illinois in October 2021, to record songs for a future album. The album Frank Songs, My Way had been carefully planned and recorded, primarily over two sessions. Lamphere's goal, was to make an album of unique versions of songs associated with Frank Sinatra or Frank Songs. In many circles, any song that Frank Sinatra recorded is considered a Frank Song. It seems most projects of this sort, wind up sounding like they were recorded at a karaoke bar. In order to avoid the disappointment that comes with copy-cat record tributes, these recordings needed to be very distinct from those of Sinatra. With twenty-five very active years singing this precise genre, with Chicago's top jazz musicians, whom more qualified than Lamphere, to pull off such a project?
Little thought was necessary for inclusion of iconic songs like Fly Me to the Moon, I've Got You Under My Skin,Summer Wind, Strangers In the Night and of course the title track My Way. These are highly requested tunes that have rarely not-been included in a Lamphere live performance. Others songs that made the cut like: Call Me Irresponsible, More (Theme from Mondo Cane), Just in Time and How Deep Is the Ocean were recorded by many artists in their day, and not automatically thought of as "Frank Songs".
Lamphere brought in acclaimed pianist Jeremy Kahn, for the first recording session. He, together with bassist Mark Sonksen, legendary drummer Greg Rockingham, guitarist Dan McIntyre and former Count Basie band member Eric Schneider on sax, have great chemistry and are as swinging as any group, anywhere.
For the second session (two days later) more big Chicago jazz talent was assembled. Pianist Larry Harris, bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer George Fludas joined Dan McIntyre and Eric Schneider to form another superb quintet.
Old-school crooner Frank Lamphere in the recording studio
The sessions in photos
Pianist Jeremy Kahn Oct 25 2021 at the Frank Songs My Way session
Drummer Greg Rockingham at the Frank Songs My Way session Oct 25 2021
Pianist Larry Harris at the "Frank Songs, My Way" session Oct 27 2021
Guitarist Dan McIntyre at the "Frank Songs My Way" Session Oct 25 2021
Recording engineer Jim Massoth an Eric Schneider Oct 25 2021 "Frank Songs My Way" session
Bassist Dennis Carroll at the "Frank Songs My Way" session Oct 27 2021
Drummer George Fludas at the "Frank Songs My Way" session Oct 27 2021
Frank Lamphere Oct 25 2021 recording Frank Songs, My Way
Photo of the session photographer Bill "Da Veetz" Klewitz Oct 25 2021
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