A Swingin' Affair! [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
A Swingin' Affair! is as perfect as records get. Sinatra sounds near to bursting with self-assurance on this 1957 release; even on the laments "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans" and "No One Ever Tells You," this is a Frank who's at the top of his game and isn't shy about letting you know he knows it. Nelson Riddle's upbeat arrangements are among his smoothest, and the varied program (which also includes "Night and Day," the wiseacre "I Wish I Were in Love Again," and "I Won't Dance") makes for one of the best-conceived Sinatra concept discs. The CD also includes "The Lady Is a Tramp," cut during the same sessions, as a bonus track. --Rickey Wright --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

Night And Day
I Wish I Were In Love Again
I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Stars Fell On Alabama
No One Ever Tells You
I Won't Dance
Lonesome Road
At Long Last Love
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
From This Moment On
If I Had You
Oh! Look At Me Now
The Lady Is A Tramp

Amazon.com essential recording

A Swingin' Affair! is as perfect as records get. Sinatra sounds near to bursting with self-assurance on this 1957 release; even on the laments "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans" and "No One Ever Tells You," this is a Frank who's at the top of his game and isn't shy about letting you know he knows it. Nelson Riddle's upbeat arrangements are among his smoothest, and the varied program (which also includes "Night and Day," the wiseacre "I Wish I Were in Love Again," and "I Won't Dance") makes for one of the best-conceived Sinatra concept discs. The CD also includes "The Lady Is a Tramp," cut during the same sessions, as a bonus track. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

swingin' tunes !.......2007-06-11

love this cd ! feel like i should be drinking a vodka tonic in a cool mid century house !

One of Frank's "Rembrandts!".......2007-05-16

As a 'Sinatraddict,' I'm biased, so take this review with proverbial "grain of salt." "A Swingin' Affair" is one of the great works of art. PERIOD. If you want to hear a master craftsman 'paint' one vocal masterpiece after another,you would be hard pressed to find a greater example. From the sublime Riddle arrangements and the greatest studio orchestra ever assembled -- Sinatra interprets some of Tin Pan Alley's superb creations: 'Stars Fell on Alabama,' 'I Got Plenty of Nothin,' 'Night & Day,' 'I Won't Dance,' 'I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan,' 'I Wish I Were In Love Again,' etc. If you don't shake your head in amazement after listening to 'From This Moment On,' you'not 'alive.' There are a bunch of other Rembrandts in the Sinatra canon -- but none greater than 'A Swingin' Affair!"

Sinatra at his exhilirating, immensely satisfying best !!!.......2007-04-26

Frank Sinatra is in peak form on this CD entitled A Swingin' Affair! The CD showcases Frank's fine ability to handle many types of songs and ballads with a degree of sophistication, wittiness and elegance rarely heard on LP or CD. Nelson Riddle's arrangements perfectly complement Sinatra's vocal talents.

The CD track set begins with "Night And Day" by the incomparable Cole Porter. As Frank Sinatra sings this tune about the joy of his love for his woman, you sense Frank's self-confidence and superlative interpretation of this classic ballad. Excellent! The musical arrangement makes good use of the strings and horns to give the song a big band flavor, too. "I Wish I Were In Love Again" may at first seem to be a polar opposite of "Night And Day;" but Frank turns this number into a swinging ballad that charms the listener.

Other gems on this CD include "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin';" the swinging-est rendition of "Stars Fell On Alabama" I've ever heard and Frank's stunning interpretation of "I Won't Dance." In Frank's hands "I Won't Dance" becomes an audio masterpiece you just can't beat. The arrangement by Nelson Riddle enhances the beauty of this number even more!

Frank also performs the classic ballad "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" with such panache you will remember this as the definitive rendition of this number. It sends chills up and down my spine!

The CD features the bonus track entitled "The Lady Is A Tramp." This number was not on the LP version of this collection of songs; it was pulled and replaced with "No One Ever Tells You." As Frank performs "The Lady Is A Tramp" you can easily recognize his exquisite mastery of this song. Frank's voice glides through this melody as if it were an instrument of its very own--and, in fact, it is!

The liner notes give you an essay about Frank and Nelson Riddle's work together for Capitol Records including commentary about the making of this album. You get the song credits and the art work is good, too.

Sinatra fans will consider this a "must-have" CD for their collections; and people who enjoy classic pop vocals will cherish this CD as they play it over and over again. If you're new to Sinatra this is also the perfect CD to listen to in order to get better acquainted with the genius of Frank Sinatra.

Quietly Sinatra.......2007-03-08

Nice CD, but of the Sinatra of a different time. I have a recent one that I received this past Christmas, when he was older, but full of fun, and wise cracks, as it is in a club for the most part, but he still was in great form, and not inhibited at all! On this, he sings very well, and it is lovely, but he is much more subdued, and I sort of like the Sinatra of the "Rat Pack" stage -- uninhibited, and right on!

The Best!.......2007-01-12

I owned the LP of this album back in the early 60's (as a teenager). The version of "Stars Fell On Alabama" stayed with me all through the years. When I found the CD was available at Amazon I had to have it. Listening to that song as well as the others on the album was such a thrill! As I enter my 6th decade, I have developed such an appreciation of Sinatra's music. It never grows old.

Average customer rating:

droopy Dex
An "Affair" Renewed

A Swingin' Affair
Dexter Gordon
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Go!
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ASIN: B000E1IGBA
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Tracks:

Soy Califa
Don't Explain
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
The Backbone
Until The Real Thing Comes Along
McSplivens

Customer Reviews:

droopy Dex.......2007-01-14

During the 1940s swing era, Dexter Gordon played with many of the greats and helped establish the longevity of swing music overall. This 1962 recording showcases all that he had accumulated in experience on the scene, and the cat is assisted by perhaps the three best sidemen he would ever work with: Sonny Clark (p), Butch Warren (b) and Billy Higgins (d).

A Dexter Gordon show was never just a show, it was an affair. Dexter moved audiences in ways that refreshed their ears and spirits. Droopy-eyed Dex with a dangling cigarette, blowing out harmony and melody with an ease only a seasoned professional could get across. While there have been several re-releases of this classic record, the Rudy Van Gelder 24-bit remaster is easily the most definitive. My favorite track on here is "McSplivens", an upbeat song written for Gordon's dog that you can really tap your feet to. Easily one of the best 50 or so albums I own, `A Swingin' Affair' gets plenty of playtime in my house.

An "Affair" Renewed.......2006-03-06

The most recent batch of six RVG reissues (2/21/06) has left me scratching my head, as the original CD incarnations of four of these titles have never even gone out-of-print, and are still readily available, even new on Amazon. Certainly, there are more deserving titles to re-release that have actually been missing from the catalog for years, but I guess EMI must have plans to make most every golden-era Blue Note album an RVG edition at this point. To be fair, "A Swingin' Affair" is another classic recording from Dexter Gordon's renaissance period, and it is great to have it available in this remastered version. In fact, "Affair" is my favorite Dex Blue Note! Those who have read my reviews know I enjoy his other albums for the label (see "Doin' Allright," "Dexter Calling," "Our Man in Paris," "One Flight Up" and "Gettin' Around"), but there is just something magical about his two albums made with the rhythm trio of Sonny Clark, Butch Warren and Billy Higgins. And while many people will agree with that statement, most also place a higher value on "Go" and not "Affair," recorded two days later on August 29, 1962. But for some reason the second session has always caught my fancy, whether it was the latin flavored "Soy Califa," the best ever rendition of "You Stepped Out of a Dream," or the infectious Warren-penned "The Backbone." Take my word for it, after just one listen, you'll never want this "Affair" to end.

Average customer rating:

swingin' tunes !
One of Frank's "Rembrandts!"
Sinatra at his exhilirating, immensely satisfying best !!!
Quietly Sinatra
The Best!

A Swingin' Affair!
Frank Sinatra
Manufacturer: Indent Series
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
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In the Wee Small Hours

ASIN: B000005JNL
Release Date: 1996-07-23

Tracks:

Night And Day
I Wish I Were In Love Again
I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Stars Fell On Alabama
No One Ever Tells You
I Won't Dance
Lonesome Road
At Long Last Love
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
From This Moment On
If I Had You
Oh! Look At Me Now
The Lady Is A Tramp

Amazon.com essential recording

This is simply one of the great American recordings. In the early '50s, Frank Sinatra was a has-been. The Tommy Dorsey/Harry James crooner had caused riots in Times Square in 1944, but Columbia fired him in 1952. Capitol signed him to a contract requiring him to pay for his own sessions. Meanwhile, arranger Nelson Riddle was working at Capitol; he had previously written charts for Nat Cole, including the classic "Mona Lisa." He and Sinatra would fit together like ham in a glove, or however the saying goes: Nelson was the velvet glove, and Frank was the prosciutto. Most critics agree that Sinatra's Capitol recordings with Riddle are among his best. A Swingin' Affair, one of the most upbeat and lighthearted Sinatra collections, presents 13 unsurpassable standards from the likes of Porter, the Gershwins, Kern, and Ellington. --Stanley Booth

Customer Reviews:

swingin' tunes !.......2007-06-11

love this cd ! feel like i should be drinking a vodka tonic in a cool mid century house !

One of Frank's "Rembrandts!".......2007-05-16

Sinatra at his exhilirating, immensely satisfying best !!!.......2007-04-26

Quietly Sinatra.......2007-03-08

The Best!.......2007-01-12

Average customer rating:

Blue Big Bands: A Swingin' Affair
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000ID4P
Release Date: 1999-04-06

Tracks:

Splanky - Count Basie
El Gato - Duke Ellington
It's Alright With Me - Stan Kenton
Milestones - Gerald Wilson
Mexicali Nose - Buddy Rich
Manteca - Gil Evans
Chet - Chet Baker
River's Invitation - Stanley Turrentine
New Time Shuffle - Joe Sample
Ahunk Ahunk - Thad Jones/Mel Lewis
Be's That Way - Gil Fuller Orchestra
Freedom Jazz Dance - Don Ellis
So What - George Russell
Lil' Darlin - Count Basie

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Answering Some Questions
"A Swingin' Affair by Dexter Gordon
Business as usual
The perfect introduction to Dexter Gordon
Dex in top form

A Swingin' Affair
Dexter Gordon
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Go!
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Ballads: Dexter Gordon

ASIN: B000005HCH
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Soy Califa
Don't Explain
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
The Backbone
(It Will Have To Do) Until The Real Thing Comes..
McSplivens

Customer Reviews:

Answering Some Questions.......2007-04-18

When listening to this CD, two questions were on my mind. First, what was it about Dexter Gordon that made him a favorite tenor among so many great tenor players who were associated with free jazz ? Second, what has Dexter Gordon added to the bebop tradition which is clearly his main source of musical ideas ?
Listening to Dexter's solo on Soy Califa I thought I had an answer to the first question. While playing completely within the bebop tradition in terms of harmony and structure, Dexter's sound seems to exploding out of his saxophone. While in terms of melody and harmony he could be compared to someone like Hank Mobley (whom I love), Gordon's sound has this certain edge that must have been appreciated by people such as John Coltrane and Dewey Redman, who, among others, said they were influenced by him.
The answer to the second question came somewhat later, when I heard the last ballad (Until the real thing...). While harmonically I don't see any development from Parker's ideas, rhythmically there is a difference approace, the notes are more evenly distributed, and the improvisation is somewhat more linear (although still based on chords). These two properties were certainly taken much further by Coltrane, but Gordon may have taken them the furthest while still playing within the bebop idiom.
One thing is certain - Dexter Gordon was one of the best studio performers ever - his studio recordings, at least for me, are even better than his live ones. Albums such as this one, Dexter Calling, and Go, that feature Gordon in a quartet setting, are so exciting and fresh (I heard them on LP 20 years ago - they sound just as fresh today), that I can't see how a serious jazz fan can afford to miss any of them.

"A Swingin' Affair by Dexter Gordon.......2006-07-26

While I have all the Bluenote,Savoy,Black Lion & Columbia Dexter recordings in my collection, I still place this album on "My Favorite Top 15" Jazz albums recorded between 1949 and 1967 - always pure pleasure to listen to!

Business as usual.......2005-12-22

How do you select among Dexter's many stellar recordings? Even a session such as "The Panther," which Amazon currently lists 24th among his recordings, should in no way be considered inessential, containing as it does a "Body and Soul" that matches if not eclipses Coleman Hawkins' signature version. As for "A Swingin' Affair," take Dexter's solo on "You Stepped Out of a Dream" and compare it to Rollins' solo on the same tune from "Sonny Rollins Vol.2." Dexter's improvisation strikes me not only as the more lyrical and imaginative but as the more definitive and assured. In fact, listening repeatedly to this compelling storyteller's recordings is to acquire increasing evidence that his may be the one name deserving mention alongside Coltrane's 1960-1965. And as for 1968-1980, Mr. Long Tall stands above the field.

If there's a "downside" to the recording, it's the ridiculously exaggerated separation that confines Dexter's tenor saxophone to one channel and the rhythm section to the other. Let's hope consumer demand justifies a re-mastered edition.

The perfect introduction to Dexter Gordon.......2005-10-13

It is purely my opinion that Alfred Lion upon hearing the finished product of Herbie Hancock's "Takin' Off" record debut as a leader, decided to grab drummer Billy Higgins & bassist Butch Warren to support Dexter again on this album and "Go!" Their swinging way of playing slightly behind the beat perfectly complements Dexter's preference for performing like-wise. I'm not a big fan of ballads but Billie Holiday's "Don't Explain" is breathtaking in its beauty. My favorite cuts are Butch Warren's "The Backbone" and Dexter's "McSplivens."

Dex in top form.......2003-06-08

If you're just getting started with learning about jazz, Dexter Gordon is a great first buy. And if you're just getting started with Dexter Gordon, this would be the second CD to get after "Go!" But it's a VERY close second-- and, conceptually, is probably more consistent track by track. There's been tons of great stuff written about this recording, and it's all true, so dive in.

Average customer rating:

A Swingin' Affair
Danny Moss
Manufacturer: Nagel-Heyer
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000J89X
Release Date: 1999-06-01

Tracks:

Just You, Just Me
Moten Swing
D. M. Blues
Moppin' And Boppin'
A Smooth One
The Jeep Is Jumpin'
Georgia On My Mind
Crazy Rhythm
Swingin' The Blues
Sweet And Lovely
The King

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Swingin' Affair
Gabriel Mark Hasselbach
Manufacturer: Wind Tunnel Multimedia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Solar Winds

ASIN: B0007YA2G6
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

Senor Blues
Pra Dizer Adeus
Easy Living
El Tapatico (original)
Kiss Me Baby (original)
Slow Hot Wind
Nutville
Moonlight In Vermont
Lover Come Back To Me
A Kiss To Build A Dream On

Product Description

Canadian jazz aficionado and top brass instrumentalist Gabriel Mark Hasselbach loves to come out swinging with two releases at once; Smooth Jazz in one hand and mainstream jazz in the other. His latest mainstream jazz foray is SWINGIN AFFAIR featuring the Jazz Perpetrators with guests, internationally known vocalists Dee Daniels and Nancy Ruth. Like an athlete adept at both football and baseball, GMH is on his game with SWINGIN AFFAIR. A tasty trip to tradition with songs that will melt the winter snow with stylish standards like Horace Silver's Senor Blues, Paul Desmonds Easy Living and several originals. The song selection, according to Hasselbach, is a collection of classic but underexposed mainstream gems. The multi-talented musician is featured on trumpet, flute, flugelhorn, alto flute, valve bone and vocals on this SWINGIN AFFAIR. The ever popular Hasselbach is currently one of the most downloaded recordings artists on Smoothjazz.com, is a 2005 Smoothjazz.com Smoothie Award recipient for top CD sales during 2004 and hes up for a Canadian Smooth Jazz Award, nominated for Wind Instrumentalist of the year. This release solidifies his rep as a mainstream jazz artist!

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A Swingin' Affair
Danny Moss
Manufacturer: Nagel-Heyer
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000A2051C
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Tracks:

Just You, Just Me
Moten Swing
D.M. Blues
Moppin' and Boppin'
Smooth One
Jeep Is Jumpin'
Georgia on My Mind
Crazy Rhythm
Swingin' the Blues
Sweet and Lovely
King

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A Swingin' Affair
Dexter Gordon
Manufacturer: Blue Note Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00004YNVO
Release Date: 2000-08-23

Tracks:

Soy Califa
Don't Explain
You Stepped out of a Dream
Backbone
Until the Real Thing Comes Along
McSplivens

Album Description

Japanese limited edition Verve label jazz reissue featuring 24 bit remastering & the original artwork reproduced as a miniature LP sleeve. Originally released in 1962. 2000 release.

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring a Limited LP Style Cover for Initias Pressing. 24bit Digitally Remastered.

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A Swingin' Affair

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000CBO0P8
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Music:

Music

Music