Barnes & Noble
Was Frank Sinatra a jazz singer? Well, name another vocalist who swung as hard, or as effortlessly, as Ol' Blue Eyes on Songs For Swingin' Lovers! This superb set of standards finds Sinatra collaborating with master arranger Nelson Riddle, an inspired craftsman who knew exactly how to bring out the best in the singer. The hits "You Make Me Feel So Young" and the gripping, definitive version of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" are marvelous, but they're just the tip of the iceberg. "Pennies from Heaven," "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me," "I Thought About You," and each of the other ten tracks is just as delicious in its own way. Stunning jazz singing? Gorgeous pop singing? Split hairs later -- enjoy this masterpiece now. Steve Futterman
All Music Guide
After the ballad-heavy In the Wee Small Hours, Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle returned to up-tempo, swing material with Songs for Swingin' Lovers!, arguably the vocalist's greatest swing set. Like Sinatra's previous Capitol albums, Songs for Swingin' Lovers! consists of reinterpreted pop standards, ranging from the ten-year-old "You Make Me Feel So Young" to the 20-year-old "Pennies From Heaven" and "I've Got You Under My Skin." Sinatra is supremely confident throughout the album, singing with authority and joy. That joy is replicated in Riddle's arrangements, which manage to rethink these standards in fresh yet reverent ways. Working with a core rhythm section and a full string orchestra, Riddle writes scores that are surprisingly subtle. "I've Got You Under My Skin," with its breathtaking middle section, is a perfect example of how Sinatra works with the band. Both swing hard, stretching out the rhythms and melodies but never losing sight of the original song. Songs for Swingin' Lovers! never loses momentum. The great songs keep coming and the performances are all stellar, resulting in one of Sinatra's true classics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine