Grandpa invited me out for a program called “Simply Sinatra”. It was at the Lerner Theater and mostly old people and a few grandkids were there. The singer’s name was Steve Lippia. He sang songs that Frank Sinatra sang. Grandpa said “he is supposed to sound like Sinatra, but he doesn’t”.
An orchestra played the songs. They did a good job but it was loud even in the back. I think that “New York, New York” was the loudest. Mr. Lippia did that one because it was one of Sinatra’s biggest hits.
Mr. Lippia sang and told jokes. He told how “The Christmas Song” (Chestnuts Roasting over a Open Fire) was written. Two guys who wrote songs together met on a very hot day, and the one noticed the other one had a bunch of sentences about the cold on his notebook. He asked if he was writing a song. The other guy said “I thought if I wrote about cold, it would cool me down.” The first guy said “I think I could make a song about that.” They took the song to a singer and the singer said “It looks good, I am going to record it.” It became one of the most famous Christmas songs.
The program was okay. The only song that I knew in the first half was the first song, “Sleigh Ride”. Then the rest of that half was love songs. I was tired of them very quickly. The second part was tons better. I liked it because it was mostly Christmas songs. I liked the music but some of the songs could have been improved by not singing them 🙂 .
I enjoyed going. Thank you Grandpa.
Whoever heard of a teenager thinking the music was too loud? The two men were Bob Wells who was trying to cool of by writing down “cool” thoughts and a singer by the name of Mel Torme who sat down and wrote the song. Older folks and their grandchildren,,,,,,,,boy am I feeling old now……
Thanks Mark, I enjoyed you coming with me to the concert.
the Papa
By the way it was recorded in early 1946 by the Nat King Cole trio but recorded again later that same year with a small string group, the second recording became THE big it..