Who the heck is Don Costa? I admit I came late to the Sinatra party (I had no choice, because I was born when he was already over twenty years into his professional career), but once I started paying attention, I could easily discern Nelson Riddle (simply the best) from Gordon Jenkins (refined) or Billy May (brassy) from Alex Stordahl (old school), but now this Costa guy comes along and blows me away!

Costa’s arrangements are special for any number of reasons. Primarily, it’s amazing to hear the elder statesman (Sinatra) sing these classic tunes while backed with full orchestration in lieu of a ‘big’ band, but Costa takes risks that go against populist notions. For instance, he bases his orchestrated version of “Stardust” exclusively on the introductory verse, ending exactly where most commercial versions begin. Only a madman would do such a thing, but it’s ingenious. Sinatra already recorded “Night and Day” more than once and nailed the ‘classic’ version with Nelson Riddle, but Costa reinvents it by slowing it down until it becomes the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. Just hearing Sinatra sing the word ‘boom’ can arouse images of ecstasy.

These are profoundly brave interpretations, and they exist because Sinatra started his own label (Reprise) exactly so that he could do whatever he wanted. Luckily, at this point in time he wanted Don Costa to bring him something profoundly different, and Costa delivered with work that will cause his name to live in perpetuity, all because of the stunning quality of “Sinatra and Strings” …and to answer my own question, Don Costa was a guitar player/session musician/record producer who worked for ABC-Paramount Records before he got the call from Frank. He did a few things in his time, but none of it suggests the caliber of this album.

Featured tracks:

I Hadn't Anyone Till You

Night and Day

Misty

Stardust

Come Rain or Shine

It Might As Well Be Spring

Prisonwer of Love

That's All

All or Nothing At All

January 1962 - Billboard Charted #8