Keely Smith - Keely Sings Sinatra

Keely Smith sings Sinatra

I really enjoyed the style and content of this CD. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys style of music. August 31, 2007

I first heard of Keely Smith on Joey Reynolds last week

And then I heard her SING on live365 radio... she has a fantastic voice!

I am putting her on my wishlist for the Christmas holiday!

I hope I get it!! December 6, 2006

This project is highlight of her musical career...

This cd tribute to Frank Sinatra is teh highlight of Keely's career. If you can believe it her vocie is even stronger today then it was in 1959! She still has her Cherokee/Irish accent, and unique way of phrasing her Ahhh's(for example Aahhh've Got You Under Maaahhh Skin). Keely never sounded better then she does here with an orchestr that sounds inspired by the arrangements of 50's Nelson Riddle/Billy May. The band is bright and brassy and Smith's appealing vocals are in the fore. The songs are exellent and Keely makes tham all her own! Keely actually recorded a few classic duets with Sinatra for Capital records, s oit makes sense that she would do a tribute. Alse she recorded this while he was still alive and he liked it, but no label would accept it until after he died, but she waited a few years, so she wouldn't take advantage of a friends death(unlike a few other greedy singers, who took advantage of Ol' Blue Eyes' untimely death). I give praise to singers like Keely, Carol Sloane, and Tony Bennett for making this music while the singer was still alive to enjoy it. A great cd, and she really doesn't sound in her 70's, I saw her live right before she released this and she sounds superb, and said "Aaaww won't stop singing until aawww die." November 26, 2004

The highlight of Keely's career...

This cd tribute to Frank Sinatra is teh highlight of Keely's career. If you can believe it her vocie is even stronger today then it was in 1959! She still has her Cherokee/Irish accent, and unique way of phrasing her Ahhh's(for example Aahhh've Got You Under Maaahhh Skin). Keely never sounded better then she does here with an orchestr that sounds inspired by the arrangements of 50's Nelson Riddle/Billy May. The band is bright and brassy and Smith's appealing vocals are in the fore. The songs are exellent and Keely makes tham all her own! Keely actually recorded a few classic duets with Sinatra for Capital records, s oit makes sense that she would do a tribute. Alse she recorded this while he was still alive and he liked it, but no label would accept it until after he died, but she waited a few years, so she wouldn't take advantage of a friends death(unlike a few other greedy singers, who took advantage of Ol' Blue Eyes' untimely death). I give praise to singers like Keely, Carol Sloane, and Tony Bennett for making this music while the singer was still alive to enjoy it. A great cd, and she really doesn't sound in her 70's, I saw her live right before she released this and she sounds superb, and said "Aaaww won't stop singing until aawww die." November 26, 2004

Many Are Called, Few Are Keely!!

Sinatra imitators are a dime a dozen. Every lounge lizard from Lexington to Las Vegas can ape Frank's mannerism and try to duplicate his unique and wonderful phrasing. But like a Time Square Rolex not much substance lies underneath those surface similarities. Rare is the singer that has enough substance and confidence in his or her own style to pay homage to one of the 20th century's great performers by giving new life and meaning to a collection of Frank's signature songs. Tony Bennett's Perfectly Frank is one. Keely Smith's Keely Sings Sinatra is another. She has not paid tribute to Sinatra here by attempting to be a mere Sinatra impersonator. Instead, she has paid homage but taking a compilation of Sinatra's most popular songs and invested it with her own skill, talent, and most of all her own influence and interpretation. Keely pays great tribute here because she does what Frank did so well, she puts all her talent and heart into a song.

Keely is a fine product of the Big Band era, one of the few still performing today. She may be best remembered for her classic work with Louis Prima. She was also a long standing friend of Sinatra's. By all accounts Sinatra was a big fan of Keely's and loved her work.

Each track on this CD is a gem. As one would expect, this CD is a compilation of songs that are all instantly recognizable as Sinatra `signature songs'. South of the Border, I've Got a Crush on You, Night and Day, and Angel Eyes highlight some of Sinatra's earlier `very good years'. These are followed by a very brief Happy Birthday tribute to Sinatra. (The CD was recorded on Frank's birthday while he was still alive but not released until well after his passing.) Next comes a selection of some of Frank's hits from his later `very good years' including : New York, New York, It Was a Very Good Year, and My Way.

It is on these later selections that Keely is at her finest. Those songs are not in my opinion, standing alone, great songs. They only achieved greatness (or great popularity) because Sinatra took them and made them unique. Generally, when I hear anyone attempt New York, New York, Very Good Year, or My Way, I simply cringe at the attempt. Much to my delight Keely does a great job with these songs. With It Was a Very Good Year she opts for a more upbeat tempo and changes the word I to `he'. This transforms the original song from a somewhat wistful recollection of her own life into something of a celebration of Sinatra's. On the other hand, Keely opts to take a bit of the anthem-like power out of My Way. Rather than a powerful and proud recitation it becomes more of a wistful reflection of Keely's own life. In essence, Keely has imbued each song with the original attribute of the other. It works wonderfully and made each song sound fresher than it has in years.

Lastly, a word for the background orchestra and the arrangers. The orchestrations, particularly the arrangements suited Keely's voice without drowning her in a wall of sound. They were reminiscent of Sinatra's old arrangements but were not slavish imitations. The studio musicians, in particular the Frankie Capp Orchestra fit Keely like a glove. Incredibly, Keely's voice has held up remarkably well over the years. If anything her voice sounds better now than it ever has.

This is a great CD. If you are a Sinatra fan or a Keely Smith fan, or just nostalgic for the Big Band days you won't be disappointed. If you are new to Keely Smith this is as good a place to start as any.
November 9, 2004

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