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Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements' Review: Seth MacFarlane Channels the Chairman
Frank Sinatra's incomplete attempt to record Billy Strayhorn's intricate jazz classic 'Lush Life' is one of the most curious episodes in the great singer's immense canon. He commissioned an arrangement from his most accomplished musical director, Nelson Riddle, and planned to include it on his classic ballad album 'Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely.' At the session itself, on May 29, 1958, he got as far as the complete verse and about two lines of the chorus when he abruptly changed his mind. After some dialogue, presumably with the producer, Dave Cavanaugh, we hear Sinatra say loudly that he intends to 'put it aside for about a year!' That arrangement is one of 12 such rarities being performed by the singer, producer, writer and comic actor Seth MacFarlane on a new album titled 'Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements.' As it happens, 'Lush Life' is the only one of these dozen charts that Sinatra actually took to the studio. It also shows why the singer made the correct decision to abort when he realized that song and arrangement weren't right for him. Many of the other pieces here, unearthed and given their premieres by Mr. MacFarlane—a pop-music and songbook buff as well as a talented baritone who sings in Sinatra's general sonic sphere, and serves as a worthy stand-in for the Chairman of the Board—are, in fact, lost treasures. The set starts with a warm, swinging treatment of 'Give Me the Simple Life,' a 1945 tune that Bing Crosby inspired Sinatra to sing and which Riddle infuses with his characteristic flutes and trombones. Riddle also contributed a beautiful orchestration of the heartfelt ballad 'Hurry Home.' Two charts by Billy May are instant classics: To hear this whimsical 'Flying Down to Rio' is to immediately regret that it didn't make the cut of the classic 1958 'Come Fly With Me.' Sinatra hesitated to record 'When Joanna Loved Me,' even in this exceptional Riddle version—although he did sing a different arrangement in concerts in the 1980s—because it was so identified with Tony Bennett, who named his daughter after the song.
Time Out
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
You can ride vintage subway trains to Rockaway Beach and Coney Island this summer
If your ideal summer day involves sand, surf and a heavy dose of New York nostalgia, the New York Transit Museum has your name all over two upcoming beach-bound adventures. This July and August, the Museum is rolling out its wildly popular Summer Nostalgia Rides, giving New Yorkers the chance to head to Coney Island and Rockaway Beach aboard vintage R1-9 subway cars from the 1930s. It's part seaside getaway, part living history tour—and way cooler than sitting in traffic on the BQE. The first trip takes place Saturday, July 19, when the vintage fleet will shuttle straphangers from 96th Street–Second Avenue to the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue terminal. It's a roughly two-hour joyride straight into the past, ending at the doorstep of Luna Park, the boardwalk and a perfectly snappy Nathan's dog. Riders can return to Manhattan aboard the same cars later in the day or stay and soak in the sunset. Then on Sunday, Aug. 10, the train heads to Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street for a full day of ocean breezes and boardwalk snacks. That trip also departs from the Upper East Side at 10 am and returns mid-afternoon, though you're free to extend your stay if you're feeling extra beachy. The real stars of the show here are the trains themselves. These R1-9 cars first hit the tracks in 1932, combining the best of IRT and BMT design: speedy, spacious and equipped with four double doors for quick crowd movement. Their industrial green exteriors and riveted metal shells evoke a different era, one that inspired jazz great Billy Strayhorn's 'Take the A Train.' Tickets are $60 for adults and $40 for kids, with discounts for Transit Museum members. And fair warning: These cars don't have air conditioning, so pack a portable fan along with your sunscreen. Spots for both trips are on sale now on the . Just don't forget to snap a pic—or five—before stepping back into the 21st century.
