I went to see my friend James in a play happening about town, and as I was giving him a ride home he says to me, "I gotta play something for ya'." So we turned off the 808s and Heartbreaks (I can't get away from it.) and he cued up the Sammy Davis, Jr.
I had no idea!
I've listened to some Sinatra every now and then and, honestly, I've never really been impressed. The musicians accompanying him were always stellar, but I always thought his stuff was a bit bland and lacked purpose. He always struck me as whimsical. Therefore, I mistakenly assumed everyone else in the Rat Pack pretty much played the same shtick. But Sammy has a sophistication and resonance I never imagined. There are few instances in which I've watched someone move through a performance with such an easy precision.
Tonight, I'm pretty sure I'll be spending some time checking out more Sammy material. This stuff is magnificent.
peace.
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