What they are saying about....
"Whatever inspired Frank Sinatra to be the person he was, he mentored for everyone in the world the art of recording. If you have any sort of passion for the music, this book has all of the answers you probably need to know. Within these pages, Chuck Granata draws on his deep knowledge of both Sinatra's craft and the fine details of the recording process to explain the most important part of Sinatra's legacy: his personal discipline in the recording studio. No recording career has ever been chronicled in quite this way."
- from the Foreword by legendary producer Phil Ramone
"My
dad's love and respect for music knew no bounds, and could be
felt in the intensity of his concentration in the studio. This
book is precious, for it documents the care and thoughtfulness
that accompanied the creation of his greatest recordings. Chuck
Granata is a fount of information..."
- Nancy Sinatra
"Sessions With Sinatra is written from the heart; a refreshing and accurate
portrait of the wonderful relationship Frank had with musicians,
and the
depth of his understanding of music. The perfect balance between
heart and
mind, Chuck's impressive study of one of the most respected figures
of the
20th century captures the true spirit of the beautiful human being
I knew
Sinatra to be. In musical terms, this book's got chops!"
- Quincy Jones
"Sessions with Sinatra is the way you get to know the most important singer of this or any other century. It was always about the music.
- Rosemary Clooney
Sessions With Sinatra is a delight. Frank Sinatra completely changed the course of what Chuck Granata refers to as the "art" of recording - his book tells how and why. From the cylinder to the CD, and from Thomas Alva Edison to Harry "Sweets" Edison, it's all told from a Frank-ish perspective in order to illustrate how the century's greatest singer impacted upon the medium. There's no other book like it, and you will learn tons about Sinatra that you never knew before - I know I did.
- Will Friedwald (author of Jazz Singing and Sinatra! The Song Is You, and co-author with Tony Bennett of The Good Life.)
During my forty-plus
year association with Mr. Sinatra, I had the pleasure of joining
him onstage, backstage - we even lifted one or two. The only major
void in my professional life was a visit to a Sinatra recording
session. Now, with a personal invitation from Chuck Granata, my
dream has come true. How nice it was to visit with so many old
friends again!
- Sid Mark, WWDB Radio
(Host of Friday with Frank, Saturday with Sinatra,
Sunday with Sinatra and the syndicated Sounds of Sinatra
programs)
"As a Sinatra disciple, I always dreamed of being there at the creation. At its best, Charles L. Granata's Sessions With Sinatra makes me feel as though I was."
- David Wild, Rolling Stone
In reviewing a recent volume that contained
the basic essay that evolved into this book, Kirkus Reviews
said, "The best (and longest) essay in the collection, written
by Sinatra archivist Charles L. Granata, is a fascinating detailed
recounting of Sinatra's recording history, showing how he developed
his mastery of song and the studio; rather than an academic analysis
of pop culture, this is music history at its most sophisticated
[and] genuinely illuminates the art on which Sinatra's reputation
is based."