Frank Sinatra: Concert for the Americas

Performed in the Altos de Chavón Amphitheater in the Dominican Republic and recorded for Showtime, this 1982 concert was Frank Sinatra's first pay-cable show and last solo concert broadcast in the U.S. Apart from the orchestra, a couple of collaborations with guitarist Tony Mottola, and a guest number led by Buddy Rich, Concert for the Americas is a one-man show: no monologues, little patter, and 19 songs spanning Ol' Blue Eyes' illustrious career. By the early ‘80s, Sinatra's voice was no longer the precision instrument of his youth but his easy grace with a lyric, commanding delivery of songs old and new, and rapport he created with an audience was unparalleled (Sinatra sings the songs here like he's telling his story to each and every person in the auditorium). The set is filled with classic signature tunes ("I Get a Kick Out of You," "The Lady Is a Tramp," "My Kind of Town," "Strangers in the Night," "I've Got You Under My Skin"), personal favorites ("The House I Live In," his paean to universal brotherhood, first recorded in 1945) and more recent additions to his repertoire (George Harrison's "Something," and "New York, New York," which the singer turned into yet another signature song). Remastered from archival video, the visual image is surprisingly solid, while the audio is excellent, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)