Frank Sinatra w/Bill Miller Sextet
Royal Festival Hall
London
1 Nov 62

This show likely was liikely pulled from a vhs copy of the TV broadcast of Frank's concert for Princess Margaret.  

01 Intro > Goody Goody 02 Imagination 03 At Long Last Love* 04 Moonlight In Vermont 05 Without A Song 06 Day In, Day Out 07 The Moon Was Yellow 08 I've Got You Under My Skin 09 I Get A Kick Out Of You 10 The Second Time Around 11 Too Marvellous For Words 12 My Funny Valentine 13 In The Still Of The Night 14 My Blue Heaven 15 April In Paris 16 You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You > outro * recording volume drops for t3 & t4, presumably due to vhs tape transfer

01 Band Intros 02 You Make Me Feel So Young 03 All The Way 04 Chicago 05 Night And Day (duet w/Al Viola - g) 06 Autumn Leaves 07 I Could Have Danced All Night 08 One For My Baby 09 A Foggy Day 10 The Lady Is A Tramp  Filler Unknown 11 Ol' Man River 12 You Make Me Feel So Young 13 Nancy With The Laughing Face - rarely performed 14 Come Fly With Me Bill Miller (piano), Irv Cottler (drums), Al Viola (guitar) Ralph Pena (bass) Harry Klee (reeds), Emil Richards (vibes)

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Following a very brief intro by David Jacobs, onto the floor strode Sinatra and who began another of his popular but now recognized as classic performances. Roughly the first half was performed straight through with barely a pause of introduction. Following a single break the rest of the show was peppered with comments on the songs, the fellow musicians and much else. At one point an English 'cup of tea' was drunk, to be praised by Frank for the soothing effect on his throat, only for him to admit blowing the benefit on a cigarette which he smoked, stubbed out on the concert floor and then acted shocked at the enormity of this act on such a hallowed stage!

Bill Miller's stripped down sextet allow the music to really focus on Sinatra's voice  -- no smashing brass here. It's more like a jazz concert that a pop concert at times. The backing of the sextet gave a swinging informality to the musical program. Indeed it was apparent Sinatra was both in very good voice and in total synch with the musicians - they having been together on the charity tour across Europe and beyond for some time. All the songs are great but  'Day In Day Out' gets special mention because even Frank claps along with the arrangement,  I also liked 'Night and Day' particularly because it was performed as dues by Sinatra and Al Viola on guitar. The beauty of each other's contributions and interplay is raw but poignant.