Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Michael Bolton: Bolton Swings Sinatra

245

Michael Bolton: Bolton Swings Sinatra

By

View read count
Michael Bolton: Bolton Swings Sinatra
Michael Bolton would never have achieved the fame that he's garnered if he wasn't genuine. Sure, his sincere approach to singing takes him over the top. After all, he is an emotional performer. That red-faced, vein-protruding tightness comes with the territory, and it's brought him to the top of the pop, R&B and classical charts. He loves what he does, and this project derives from that persona.

Bolton doesn't try to be Frank. He sings these favorite Sinatra songs with the same kind of orchestral and big band accompaniment that Ol' Blue Eyes preferred; however, his vocal interpretations are strictly his own. He forces each melody with an intentional fervor that totally contrasts with the cool swing Frank Sinatra represented.

Arranger Chris Walden surrounds Bolton with swinging musical scenes that emulate the organizations Frank Sinatra worked with. At times, you can hear the Basie Band coming through confidently in the musical accompaniment. Brief solos appear from saxophones and trumpet. A 17-piece big band and a 35-piece string section stand united with Bolton on "For Once in My Life, "You Go to My Head, "My Funny Valentine, "The Girl from Ipanema, "Night and Day and "The Second Time Around. The latter is a vocal duet with Nicolette Sheridan.

Emotions are on fire here, and the message is clear. Bolton's crying refrains carry a significant emotional burden.

The big band arrangements work much better, since they contrast smoothly with the singer's forceful delivery and allow for a swinging demeanor. "Fly me to the Moon, "I've Got You Under My Skin, "Summer Wind, "That's Life, "They Can't Take That Away From Me and "New York New York feature comfortable big band arrangements that get your foot tappin' and your shoulders moving. It's memorable music, and Bolton has done his listeners a service by bringing it to a very large audience.

Track Listing

You Go to My Head; Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words); For Once in My Life; Summer Wind; My Funny Valentine; I

Personnel

Michael Bolton: vocals; Nicolette Sheridan: vocals; others.

Album information

Title: Bolton Swings Sinatra | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Concord Music Group

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Today Yesterday
Anton Mikhailov
Waking Dream
Randy Napoleon
Hold On
Mark Winkler
The Hat with the Grin and the Chuckle
Ben Thomas Tango Project

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.