Description
Swing, swing, swingin: Theres nothing wrong with taking a proven concept, tweaking and bettering it, and then doing it all over again. While many sequels fail to hit the mark, Frank Sinatra slams another proverbial ball of the park on 1957s A Swinging Affair!, an unofficial follow-up of sorts to the previous years smash Songs For Swingin Lovers! Hitting slightly harder than its predecessor, with revered self-assurance and horn-stoked energy, the Capitol classic remains quintessential Ol Blue Eyes.
Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelitys numbered limited-edition hybrid mono SACD presents another supreme collaboration between Sinatra and longtime creative companion Nelson Riddle. Imaging, dynamics, separation, airiness, and tonalities experience significant enhancement and restoration, particularly compared to whats present on digital and analog pressings made over the past four decades. A Swingin Affair! now sounds how it was intended, with the spatial dimensions of Capitols Studio A and depth of Sinatras mellifluous baritone realistically present and balanced.
While largely similar to Songs For Swingin Lovers! in approach and execution, Sinatras 1957 treasure steps up the brassiness and boldness. Riddles charts teem with color, charm, and sophistication, the instrumental touches in sync with the Chairmans phrasing and diction. Jut one close listen reveals why so many Sinatraphiles believe the Sinatra-Riddle pairing tops any other during the vocalists illustrious career. Brisk tempos and rousing crescendos drive the songs ahead, and Sinatra latches onto the attack, singing as if nothing is ever going to contain him.
Exuberance, swagger, and smoothness abound. So do memorable ballads on which Sinatras voice seems to simply glide. His interpretations of Cole Porters At Long Last Love, the bluesy torch classic No One Ever Tells You, and Rodgers and Harts I Wish I Were In Love Again rank amongst his finest mellow moments. Regal atmospherics and thrilling climaxes punctuate a majority of the material, while the song selection is utterly infallible. If only all second acts were this good.
Full of ring-a-ding-ding joy and acrobatic vocal feats, A Swingin Affair! earns its exclamation point and more.
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