Lush Life - Calabria Foti

[@guennadikisselev6289]

Calabria is such a beautiful and sophisticated singer and with Bob's solos, her voice sounds even better...

[@MarkBlackburnWPG]

Calabria Foti -- my favorite living singer, my favorite "Playing Favorites" on Siriusly Sinatra satellite radio: My friends at Sinatra Family know my feelings about Calabria Foti -- I'm just crazy about her way with a great song (and loved her previous "Playing Favorites" show several years ago that somehow got 'lost'). Her latest program exceeded all expectations. Not least for LUSH LIFE -- the way Nelson Riddle conceived it, 61 years ago, given its first full reading by Calabria Foti. AND all thanks to Frank Sinatra Jr. [!] As her show neared its end Calabria prepared listeners to hear the full arrangement, the way Nelson Riddle intended it to be recorded that night in 1958 - when Felix Slatkin conducted the orchestra, in the absence of Mr. Riddle who was accompanying Nat Cole on tour -- in Alberta Canada! (but you knew that, right?). As Calabria recalled: “Sinatra's 'Sings For Only the Lonely' was one of his greatest records, mentioned in every Sinatra biography and Nelson's autobiography, and LUSH LIFE was intended for the album but was tragically omitted. It's a very interesting and haunting arrangement by Nelson Riddle, depicting someone doing their best to get over the heartache of a break-up. “There's been a lot of speculation about why the song never got completed. Nelson wasn't on the podium that night; they had finished seven songs in that one session and as a musician I can tell you that's a lot of songs - and it was late at night. Several takes were attempted, but they were tired, and they just abandoned the recording. Now Nelson was really disappointed that the song did not make it onto the album. Some bootlegs have slipped out where you can hear Mr. Sinatra running through the song. Now, fast forward several years. This is the personal part of the story: because of the friendship my husband and I had with Sinatra Jr, he gave me the arrangement to record. We'd also planned that he would conduct the orchestra when we recorded it. But - he sadly passed before the session took place. “Now before I play you my recording of the complete the arrangement, I'd like to take you back to 1958 and play you a little of the original outtake. Here is Mr. Sinatra.” Frank sings a portion of the opening verse: “I used to visit all the very gay places . . . from jazz and cocktails . . . then you came along . . . ” Frank interrupts to say, “Hold it: It's hard enough to sing it the way it is but he's got some (clydes?clams?) in there!” (apparent reference to musicians hitting a wrote note) before: “Let's put it aside for about a year!” Wow, says Calabria: “Well. I'm no Frank Sinatra, but here is my recording of the complete arrangement by Nelson Riddle of LUSH LIFE - intended for Frank Sinatra in 1958, being heard for the very first time.” What follows is gorgeous - surely one of the most creatively beautiful arrangements - opening with some Fats Waller style up-tempo stride piano soloing before the huge orchestra breaks into a delightful, three-quarter-time, 'symphonic arrangement that sparkles! A key change marks the start of the main chorus -- with those familiar words we longed to hear Frank sing: “Life is lonely again, and only last year, everything seemed so sure. Now life is awful again, a truffle of hearts can only be a bore! A week in Paris should ease the bite of it, all I care is to smile in spite of it . . . I'll forget you, I will, and yet you are still burning inside my brain. Romance is mush - stifling those who strive: I'll live a love life in some small dive, and there I'll be while I rot with the rest of those whose lives are lonely too.” Thanks for sharing ChesapeakeMusic. Shared this night with Sinatra Family -- forum -- "siriusly sinatra" -- Playing Favorites shows: sinatrafamily.com/forum/showthread.php/33225-Playing-Favorites-on-Sirius?p=1282179#post1282179

[@lcpowell]

Mark Blackburn amen! I haven’t gotten to listen to her PF yet, is it online available anywhere? Seth’s is my fave

[@felixvilchez1762]

gracias por la recuperacion de esta joya de Mr. Riddle nuestro héroe. Gracias tambien por su deliciosa interpretacion Felicidades..!!

[@pramikentertainment]

Just absolutely beautiful - fantastic Calabria

[@garyminello8784]

My favorite song…I have it by 6 artists, but this is one of the best

[@mariocarman]

Soy el primero en poner "Me Gusta"!!!! Que genial este rescate y su interpretación! Gracias!!!

[@vijitc1209]

I love this arrangement and I love her voice. A question and I am not trying to smart aleck by any means. I am a big Linda Ronstadt fan and I love her 3 albums with Nelson Riddle. Does anyone know if his arrangement of Lush life for Linda was also inspired by the original arrangement or did that take it own course?

[@Skidoo22]

It's a lousy song. Nelson did his best with a lousy song but that's all you can do.