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New York Pops – Let’s Be Frank
By Stewart Schulman Frank Sinatra made a "legendary opening" at New York’s Paramount Theater on December 30, 1942, inspiring Jack Benny to say: "I thought the goddamned building was going to cave in. I never heard such a commotion ... All this for a fellow I never heard of." Seventy-three years later, in the centennial anniversary year of his birth, Francis Albert Sinatra is still causing a stir … as evidenced this past Friday, April 10th, by “Let’s Be Frank,” the New York Pop’s musical tribute to the legacy and artistry of one of the best-selling artists of all time. The Carnegie Hall concert was conducted by NY Pops Music Director Steven Reineke and featured four superb guest artists alternately belting out and crooning some of the greatest hits of the Sinatra songbook. With compositions by preeminent songwriters ranging from John Kander, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill, Nelson Riddle, Rogers & Hart, Coleman & Leigh, Rogers & Hammerstein II, to Styne, Comden & Green, (to name but a few), the evening was a magnificent tribute to an artist considered by music critic Robert Christgau to be “the greatest singer of the 20th century.” All four of the guest artists were singers at the top of their game; and the Pops orchestra sounded amazing on orchestral arrangements of “New York, New York,” which opened Act 1; and “Mack the Knife,” (a deliciously lilting yet brassy and haunting arrangement by Mr. Reineke), which opened Act 2. The rest of the evening was comprised of solos and duets of songs that took you back to a time and place when music made you want to get up and dance or fall madly in love. Las Vegas headliner Frankie Moreno opened with a smooth easy rendition of “It Had to Be You,” followed by a bold brassy arrangement of “That’s Life.” Toward the end of that song he put down his mike and sang without amplification, with naught but the remarkable acoustics of the great hall to carry his powerful singing voice to the appreciative crowd in the balcony. Sinatra-phile and Sinatra sound-alike Tony DeSare followed with an easy crooning of “Night and Day,” and a captivating new arrangement of “My Funny Valentine.” Sexy rocker/jazz stylist/she can sing anything - Storm Large - took stage next, wowing with “The Best Is Yet to Come” and “Come Rain or Come Shine.” Ms. Large offered up a Torch sound on this latter piece reminiscent of Lady Day herself (Billy Holiday) who originally made the song famous. Next up was leading man and Broadway star Ryan Silverman who heated up the house with a steamy Latin arrangement of “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die,” which had Maestro Reineke dance-conducting while Mr. Silverman offered up one of the evening’s highlights. “Moonlight Becomes You,” a gentle beautiful song Mr. Silverman had sung several years back at his Carnegie Hall debut came next.
In Act 2 Mr. DeSare soloed on “I Have Dreamed,” Mr. Moreno on “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road),” Mr. Silverman on “Just in Time,” and Ms. Large on “My Way,” one of Mr. Sinatra’s signature songs. Throughout the concert there were a number of wonderful duets including: DeSare and Large on “Something’s Gotta Give,” Large and Silverman on “Somethin’ Stupid,” (a song Frank (Sinatra) made famous in a duet with his daughter Nancy), and the powerhouse Act 1 finale “The Birth of the Blues,” sung by Moreno and Silverman – their voices filling the room with the sound of four decades of the most astonishing big band music. There were two other evening highlights. The first was a dueling piano duet between Tony DeSare and Frankie Moreno on “All of Me,” which had the crowd cheering and on its feet as the two musicians pounded out the final riffs of a truly mind-blowing arrangement. Several times during the piece they switched hand positions on the keyboard and seat positions on the piano bench as they displayed their virtuosity on the concert grand. The final highlight was the evening’s encore – an uplifting medley of a few of Mr. Sinatra’s most popular and enduring musical hits. Who wouldn’t cheer after a medley comprised of: “I’ve Got the World On a String,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “The Summer Wind,” “Witchcraft,” “Luck Be a Lady,” and “All The Way?” And who wouldn’t jump to their feet if it ended with 78 brilliant Pops musicians and four glorious singers belting out “New York, New York”? Frank Sinatra might have been 100 years old this year, but his music still rocks the house, and it is most certainly as young at heart, as ever. The rest of the 2014-2015 NY Pops season features: Monday, May 4th, 2015 at 7:00PM 
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