Remembering Sinatra

    Back around 1941 when I was a dance band musician, playing Tenor Sax in the big bands, and small combos throughout North Central Indiana, I had the privilege of seeing and hearing Frank Sinatra for the first time.  The occasion was the famous "Rotating Bandstand" of the Indiana Roof Ballroom, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

   Tom Dorsey: "the Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" and his Big Band featuring a new, dynamic young Vocalist, Frank Sinatra.  Along with Sinatra was the vocal group: Jo Stafford and the Pied Pipers.  That band produced, as always, some of the finest music of its era and time.  The rotating bandstand presented Shep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra, featuring an abundance of stringed instruments coalescing into the Big Band arrangements, for a contrasting and alternative sound.  It was a night to remember.  Along with three of my closest musician friends; Gerald R. "Bus" Walker (drums); Robert "Bob" Croddy (cornet) and John Russell "Johnny" Wattles (trumpet), it turned out to be a grand and inspiring night!

   A few months later, while returning to the U.S. Army site of my Army Amphibious training, at Fort Devens/Camp Edwards, Washburn Island, in Massachusetts, I stopped, between trains, in New York City, where Frank Sinatra, now going "Solo" was already playing to packed audiences on his own.  Again, an inspiring performance, to be remembered down through the years.

        Moving on down the line in Time, I was back home in Indiana, beginning the compilation of a more than 1,000 + original songs catalog.  Taking a group of songs to a local bandman/arranger, he said: "these songs sound like they might have been written for someone like Frank Sinatra".  I had never regarded the music or lyrics in such light, before.

   Move on down a bit further in Time, to 1996.  Ed Shirak, Jr. owner of LePore' Chocolate Shoppe, in Hoboken and one of Sinatra's biggest fans, decided to produce a Special Show, honoring Sinatra's 81st Birthday.  Learning about the program, I sent a song: "New Jersey Is My Home" to his attention and he featured it throughout the Birthday celebration program.  Mr. Shirak sent me a videotape of the Hoboken Nightclub Birthday Celebration.  I still treasure it, today.  Later, with the co-write of a truly wonderful and talented Co-Writer: Betty Jean (B.J.) Shawd, of Orlando, Florida, we produced the Song: "Hoboken" in Frank Sinatra's honor.

   The original, copyrighted songs in this Song Folio present some of the kind of music that Frank Sinatra might consider, today.  That's good enough for me!  I will leave it to the potential catalog of this 21st Century's new and next Sinatra.  To check out these songs.  Whoever he is, he will have the great vocal capabilities, the excellent vocal phrasings and the remarkable stage presence and mannerisms of the great Francis Albert Sinatra.  America will be so much better for his presence!

        You will know him when you see him and hear him...

        Thank you, Mr. Sinatra

    This Song Folio contains Lyric pages and Lead Sheet pages, along with biographies of the co-writes.  The following is a list of the contents and copyright dates of the songs included in this, first of two, Song Folios: