Frank Sinatra/Count Basie
The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings
Concord Records
www.concordmusicgroup.com
By George W. Harris

The two Chairmen of the Board got together for a pair of studio discs, as well as their more famous “…Sands” gig in Vegas. The two sessions were cut in 1962 and 64, and while they miss on a few cylinders, the hits make it worthwhile. The 62 session has Sinatra in not-too-great voice, but the Basie band (with arrangements by Neal Hefti) is in vintage form, with Freddie Payne’s drums propelling the band on “Pennies From Heaven” while the velvety sax section of Royal, Foster, Dixon, Wess and Fowlkes is drop dead jaw dropping on “I Only Have Eyes For You.” The ’64 session has Blue Eyes en better form, and he glides through “Fly Me To The Moon” as well as a sauntering “The Best Is Yet To Come” like the Rat Packer that he was. This session has the Basie band augmented by some strings, with Quincy Jones’ charts sounding as fresh as spring flowers. Hard to beat the summit meeting of the two best hat wearers of the 60s.