My Melancholy Baby

Frank Sinatra is legendary for several reasons: he was a brilliant and groundbreaking interpreter of popular song, a well-respected actor, a trendsetter of style, and a charasmatic and engaging performer. However, he should also be more widely known for another groundbreaking concept: he was the among the first to revisit old and out-of-style popular songs. During the 1930s and '40s, most singers performed (and recorded) pop songs of the day. In many cases there was a close relationship between the songwriter(s), the performer, and the record label - all of whom had a vested financial interest in creating brand new material for listeners. Sinatra certainly did record current material, but he also had an affinity for the older tunes. His desire was to breathe new life into forgotten classics. Such was the case for his 1945 recording of My Melancholy Baby - a tune published three years before Sinatra was born. The arrangement was originally written for the Frank Sinatra in Person radio show (sponsored by Vimms Vitamins) and first performed on November 8, 1944. The original arrangement did not have the 8-bar instrumental interlude at measure 37, which was added for the 1945 recording session. The studio recording session took place on January 29, 1945 in Hollywood. This Axel Stordahl arrangement does a superb job of providing the perfect backdrop to Sinatra's sensitive voice. Other than an 8-bar orchestral interlude, this is a vocal feature. The vocal key is B throughout.