Sinatra, more than any other performer, turned Las Vegas into “The Entertainment Capital Of The World.” Whether it’s “Come Fly With Me,” “Luck Be A Lady,” or “My Way,” Sinatra in VEGAS is the Sinatra of legend. On November 7th, audiences can experience the Chairman at his pulse pounding best with the release of ‘Sinatra: Vegas’ - a 4-CD/1-DVD boxed set of live performances.
This deluxe set of previously unreleased material from Reprise Records includes five unforgettable performances in legendary Vegas venues by Sinatra in his prime. The set includes never-before-heard versions of his most iconic hits including: “Come Fly With Me,” “Witchcraft,” “The Lady Is A Tramp,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Fly Me To The Moon,” “Luck Be A Lady,” “Theme From New York,” “New York,” “My Way”, and many more. ‘Sinatra: Vegas’ will be available for a suggested list price of $79.98.
Disc One was recorded at The Sands hotel (which Sinatra partially owned) in November of 1961. Such Sinatra standards as “The Lady Is A Tramp,” “Young At Heart,” and “Witchcraft” are greeted with rapturous response from the hometown crowd. An insightful bonus audio interview with Sinatra sheds light on the segregation in Nevada hotels that he was battling at the time of this performance.
Disc Two presents Sinatra back at the Sands in early 1966, performing with Count Basie & His Orchestra (which featured a young Quincy Jones conducting). Some of Sinatra’s performances from that engagement were excerpted for Sinatra At The Sands (which would become one of the singer’s most popular LPs), but all the recordings included here are previously unavailable. Organized as a complete show with the songs in the order they were performed, this is the ultimate swingin’ collaboration meeting between Sinatra and Basie.
Moving forward 16 years, Disc Three presents Frank at Caesar’s Palace during a two-week engagement in the Circus Maximus in March of 1982, where Frank was heralded as “the greatest Roman of them all.” Sinatra began the 1980s with a switch from lush string sections to upbeat ‘hot band’ accompaniment. Also heard on this volume of SINATRA: VEGAS is Nancy Sinatra, who duets with her father on their #1 hit “Somethin’ Stupid,” and fellow Rat Packer (and good-natured heckler) Dean Martin.
Disc Four bookends the decade with an April 1987 engagement at The Golden Nugget. This strong late-period performance was a rare occasion when Frank’s favorite accompanist Bill Miller was not behind the piano – he instead conducted the orchestra while fellow Sinatra stalwart Lou Levy tickled the ivories. Miller, who passed away earlier this year while touring with Frank Sinatra Jr., is featured playing or conducting on all five discs of ‘Sinatra: Vegas.’
The boxed set’s DVD features a complete unreleased concert from May 5, 1978 at Caesar’s Palace – one of more than 500 shows he performed there in his long career. At the time, cameras were rolling for the CBS-TV program Cinderella At The Palace, a special about a new singer getting her big break that featured several famous guest appearances. Though only a few Sinatra songs were part of the broadcast, Frank’s whole show was filmed – as well as rare backstage footage shot before and after the performance.
These five discs reside within a beautiful metallic foil clamshell box, which also includes a lavish 64-page book with celebrity commentary, essays by noted Sinatraphiles, rare photos, and reproductions of Vegas memorabilia.
‘Sinatra: Vegas’ is now available at Amazon . Visit the music database for more information.
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