The Rat Pack (Christmas Music #5) --with a nod to Quincy Jones

Jerry O'Hagens last New Year's Gig

Watching Daddy

Poster Child for Not Practicing

In Memory--Jerry passed away in February 

Bill is in Ohio visiting Tim from their Glenn Miller Orchestra days. These photos are from Bill's local days with Jerry O'Hagen. It's seems appropriate today to cover Bill's favorite, Frank Sinatra.

At some point in Bill's saxophone career an esteemed peer suggested he listen to more vocalists. Several hundred CDs later. . . we have the countries largest collection of Frank Sinatra. If it exists, we have it. If it was boot-legged at the Sands Club. . . we have it.

You can't talk about Frank Sinatra without talking about Quincy Jones. When they write the music history book of the 20th century, Quincy Jones better be the largest chapter. If you listened to any music from Sinatra to Michael Jackson you listened to Quincy Jones. Did you know he studied string arranging with Nadia Boulanger? And all with staff paper and a black flair pen. We've been watching his documentary and it's absolutely fascinating. Who else could pick up the phone and call Obama or Oprah?

Quincy credits Sinatra with everything and wears his pinkie ring. Sinatra did what no one else had done at the that time. He told the hotels, regarding the black musicians. . . if they play in the hotel they stay in the hotel. They had been required to stay off the strip in Las Vegas. I just get shivers down my spine and tears in my eyes. That's what true power and talent does. If you love music, hate racism, and want to hear the story of a black kid getting his hand stabbed with a knife on the street and then falling in love with a piano in a place he was robbing as a child. . .you gotta watch the documentary. At least watch the trailer!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT7gn6nhsAc

Back to Sinatra and the Rat Pack, you hear it on the radio all day, but it was special. It's still special.

Here's a youtube link in case you didn't get enough. . . https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nRcrhZThxQc2nqY05lCeHSTeFSOo5muaI

I don't have time to list all the Sinatra Christmas CDs we have. They share the shelf.