FRANKIE LAINE — Rockin' (review)

Album · 1957 · Vocal Jazz

4.5/5 · 2011-11-26
Matt

These songs sold many a record for Mercury and actually this material is Frankie Laine's bread and butter and Columbia as many a record company has thought,"well lets get this artist to redo his old hits and maybe we can sell them again". Not many times in the past has this been a success as one remembers Jerry Lee Lewis decided to redo all his old Sun rockers at Mercury and one realised just how good his Sun material was. Not so here with Frankie Laine as he has given all these old tunes that he had previously recorded at Mercury a real good kick with a bit more swing than the previous recordings. Paul Weston and his Orchestra are the backing for Frankie Laine on the album ,"Rockin" and although the title can be misleading it is actually a reference to Duke Ellington and as with Frankie's previous album release "Jazz Spectacular" it as Jazz that is the styling and with Russ Case arranging one song "Rockin' Chair", Paul Weston the arrangements for three of the others with the remaining eight tracks arranged by the man himself Billy May. This was one of Frankie Laine's biggest selling albums in his career with a great choice and mix of different material included within and all sung with great drive and feel that Frankie Laine always placed within his material.

"By The River of Sainte Marie" is the opening swinger for the album and with the arrangements by Billy May there is a great punch from the orchestra throughout this bouncy number with a nice quick tenor sax solo within but Frankie's wonderful vocals are the absolute high point. Fats Waller's, "Black And Blue' is next and Billy May arranged this as well with a great kick from the orchestra and here we show that Frankie Laine always kept one foot firmly back where Jazz emanated from in New Orleans and of course it is very good. The big one is next, "That's My Desire" which was Frankie's first big hit at Mercury and here he sings the ballad practically the same with a lovely little touch of tenor sax added for the solo and which one is better, the original or this?. I still prefer the Mercury release myself but there is not much of a difference but this version on "Rockin" does have a much cleaner sound. Another absolute Jazz classic is given wonderful treatment with swing in "Turning Blue Grey Over You" and the next track was another big hit for Frankie and this version here would become the one that everyone loves of "Lucky Old Sun" and he sounds like he really means it as he sings this beautiful old ballad and "leather lungs" is precisely what one would need to sing the high points with that big vocal finish from Frankie. Blues with heaps of swing included finish side one off with "Baby That Ain't Right" with a nod to one of Frankie Laine's greatest influences Jimmy Rushing and although the album does not mention it, if like me, you are a Jimmy Rushing fan you will hear the vocal presentation being done a'la Jimmy. The swing just keeps coming with 'Shine", "Rockin' Chair" which is arranged by Russ Case is back to that classic New Orleans material, "We'll Be Together Again" is the ballad and next is one of the all time classics "West End Blues", given more of that Frankie drive and swing. The Swing still keeps coming with quite a nice little slick arrangement for this time from Paul Weston in "Give Me A Kiss". The album closes with the classic "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" given the Billy May swing input all the way throughout.

It worked for Columbia but anything that Frankie Laine sang from this time worked even if they were his old songs given a fresh take, they sold. One of the rare times that an artist can sing another take from his originals and get them just as good if not better which is the case for most of the songs re-done in the album "Rockin" by Frankie Laine. Swingin' not Rockin' would have been a more appropiate title as this wonderful little baby of an album does that from start to finish.