Arc Angels, Frank Sinatra, Royal Crown Revue

Frank Sinatra – Duets II

Sinatra’s last recorded album. Wiki says the duet partners added their vocals to his pre-done recordings, so I don’t know if he sang them and they came in later, or if they just pasted the new vocals to old recordings (like Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable). Frank was still alive for this (he died in 1998), so I’m curious. The internet won’t tell me which. Anyway, this is FRANK. And that oughta be ‘nuff said about this genius at work. Gorgeous arrangements, great song selections, an impressive list of guest vocalists. Every time I listen to Frank, he’s all I want to listen to for a long, long time.

Arc Angels – Arc Angels

Cool blues rock. We were supposed to see them in concert, at Paddyfest, back in high school. We got Harem Scarem instead. Anyway, I liked this record a lot. Their song called Living In A Dream reminded me somehow of Bryan Adams’ In The Heat Of The Night. Overall, this has a very clean, satisfying sound, built to appeal to guys like me in 1992. The players here are excellent, Charlie Sexton and Doyle Bramhall III, of course, and Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton from Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble? Oh yes.

Royal Crown Revue – Mugzy’s Move

The swing revival hit me hard, and these guys played a lot in my stereo. Tight arrangements, high energy, real respect for the roots of swing but still looking forward. They could turn on a dime and this record always made me smile. Superb record, and I love the artwork here too. Classic.

Duets II

Arc Angels

Mugzy’s Move