FRANK SINATRA & QUINCY JONES - Mack the knife (1984)

Terry Note: Below please find the details of one of my favorite Frank Sinatra performances… a single track from an old LaserDisc of mine recorded in 1984 in studios located on both the Left and Right coasts. My selection (track 10) is simply titled “Mack The Knife”, a really old gem with a very long history but made popular in more recent times with Louis Armstrong’s 1955 rendition followed in 1959 by a hugely popular chart-buster for Bobby Darin. The following year (and an ocean away) the Queen of Jazz, Lady Ella Fitzgerald would scat her way through MtK in a Berlin Germany nightclub paying tribute to both “Satchmo” and Bobby Darin. Fast forward to 1984; put ol’ Blue Eyes in a studio with Quincy Jones and a stellar cast of musicians and you’re in for a real treat.

Portrait of an Album: The Best of Everything --- Behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of the album "L.A. Is My Lady" Directed and Produced by: David Leaf & John Scheinfeld

Arrangements by:
Frank Foster ● Jerry Hey ● Quincy Jones ● Dave Matthews ● Sam Nestico ● Joe Parnello ● Torrie Zito Emil G. Davidson (Director) ● Quincy Jones (Executive Producer)

Recorded 1984:April 13-17 (New York City) and May 17 (Los Angeles)

1. The Best Of Everything - Frank Wess (alto sax solo) Joe Parnello (arranger)
2. Until The Real Thing Comes Along - Joe Newman (muted trumpet solo) Sam Nestico (arranger)
3.It's All Right With Me - George Benson (guitar solo) Sam Nestico (arranger)
4. How Do You Keep The Music Playing? Joe Parnello (piano) Joe Parnello (arranger)
5. A Hundred Years From Today - Urbie Green (trombone solo) Sam Nestico (arranger)
6. After You've Gone - George Benson (guitar intro) Lionel Hampton (vibes solo) Frank Foster
7. Teach Me Tonight - Torrie Zito (arranger)
8. If I Should Lose You - Sam Nestico (arranger)
9. Stormy Weather - Lee Ritenour (guitar solo) Sam Nestico (arranger)
10. Mack The Knife - Major "Mule" Holley ("grunt" bass solo) George Benson (guitar solo) Joe Newman (muted trumpet solo) Urbie Green (trombone solo) Lionel Hampton (vibes) Frank Foster (arranger)
Frank Sinatra – vocals
Harry Lookofsky - Concert Master
Oscar Brashear – trumpet
Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn
Jon Faddis – trumpet
Gary Grant
Joe Newman – trumpet
Alan Rubin - trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet
Lew Soloff – trumpet
Snooky Young – trumpet
Jerry Hey - trumpet, arranger
Wayne Andre – trombone
George Bohannon – trombone
Urbie Green – trombone
Lew McCreary – trombone
Benny Powell
Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone
David Taylor - bass trombone
Bill Watrous
Michael Brecker – saxophone
Buddy Collette
Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone
William Green
Kim Hutchcroft
Jerome Richardson
Larry Williams
George Young – saxophone
Frank Wess - saxophone, alto saxophone
Frank Foster - arranger, saxophone
John Clark - french horn
David Duke
Peter Gordon
Sidney Muldrow
Jerry Peel
Henry Sigismonti
Toni Price – tuba
James (Jim) Self – tuba
Margaret Ross – harp
Amy Sherman
George Benson – guitar
Tony Mottola – guitar
Lee Ritenour – guitar
Lionel Hampton – vibraphone
Ray Brown - double bass
Gene Cherico
Bob Cranshaw – bass
Major Holley
Marcus Miller – bass
Neil Stubenhaus - electric bass
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler – drums
Irving Cottler – drums
Steve Gadd – drums
John "J.R." Robinson
Ralph MacDonald – percussion
Sy Johnson - piano, Fender Rhodes
Joe Parnello piano, arranger, Fender Rhodes
Craig Huxley – synthesizer
Ed Walsh
Bob James - synthesizer, electric piano, Fender Rhodes
Hilary James - synthesizer, piano, Fender Rhodes
Randy Kerber - synthesizer, piano, Fender Rhodes