7. Songs for Swingin' Lovers

Songs for Swingin' Lovers
1956

Amanda: Ah!  Here is the Sinatra as I knew him.  The kind of music you would hear at casinos and get up and swing to (please don't make this into something dirty; let's be mature about this people)!  I actually had this entire album already on my iPod so this album was nothing new to me.  Even if you haven't heard Sinatra sing these songs, you have probably listened to other people sing these classic songs which include "Pennies from Heaven" or "You Make Me Feel So Young" (I prefer when Rosemary Clooney sings this one; I also liked it better when Stewie sang it:)).  The songs are golden and even if there are a bit overdone, you forget it the second you hear this famous crooner sing them!

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Brie: I cannot believe that Frank Sinatra was 40 years old when he recorded this album! Brings a new meaning to the song "You Make Me Feel So Young", doesn't it? I felt slightly jaded after listening to the last Sinatra album, In The Wee Small Hours, but I am glad to say that good old Frankie redeemed himself with this one! Aah, so many classics on this album. From the previously mentioned "You Make Me Feel So Young" to "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Makin' Whoopee", these songs have been covered many times and by extension, became classics. I can't wait to add this album to my collection!!!

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6. Ellington at Newport

Ellington at Newport

Amanda: The albums up to this point had been really easy to listen to.  All the songs were available on YouTube and took around twenty minutes each.  This album, however, is around two hours long.  For those of you who don't know, this album comes from a live recording of Ellington's concert at Newport and includes introductions and the sound of a riot breaking out during the performance!  I had to get the album off a very *cough* reputable website.  That being said, I think this album is worth it and it was one of my favorites so far.

This album is comprised of jazz performed by a big band orchestra.  Ellington was not a singer, he was a composer.  He was, however, a very charismatic man, and his speaking interludes were actually quite enjoyable.  This album also showed me how little I know of jazz music (Ellington states "If you have heard of the saxophone then you have heard of Johnny Hodges"; who the hell is Johnny Hodges?) but I was okay with that because I am learning.  Definitely listen to it at least once.  My favorite track was probably "Skin Deep."

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Brie: I love live albums! Though they are nothing compared to actually being at a concert, they can give us a feeling of what it would have been to be there. I agree that Ellington is a joy to listen to and a genius composer! I love the track "Skin Deep" as well, but it's a difficult decision!

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