With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
Sinatra And Jobim: David Gray On 'Quiet Nights'
Listen
• 4:42
A portrait of Sinatra in Los Angeles several years before recording the album <em>Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim</em>.
(
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
)
Ten years ago on an American tour, while I was relaxing in a luxurious motel — The Red Roof Inn — I heard "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" for the first time.
It's taken from the 1967 album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim. The album, recorded in Hollywood, is a collaboration between two greats of mid-20th-century music.
From the moment you step into "Quiet Night of Quiet Stars," you can't help but gaze in wonder at the glorious architecture of a musical age gone by. It is perfect in its simplicity, the arrangement elegant and the execution faultless.
Sinatra sings his first line and leads us by the hand into a dreamlike scene of starlight and magical stillness. Then the lyric unfolds in a series of meditative haiku, subtly gathering pace, until BANG! With barely more than a minute on the clock, there is a dramatic change of chords and an equally dramatic confession:
Support for LAist comes from
"I who was lost and lonely,
believing life was only,
a bitter tragic joke,
have found with you,
the meaning of existence, my love."
And we are plunged into the song's innermost heart.
What we are getting from Frank here, it seems to me, is not his usual showmanship, but rather a glimpse of something less commonly seen. This is not Sinatra, big-time entertainer, but someone cracked and vulnerable with doubts and scars. Sinatra the man.
Support for LAist comes from
The lyrics he sings describe a moment of bliss. Yet at every turn in the song, there is the sense that it all might disappear at any moment. This is what gives this little song its great power. It's not a description of two souls in the throes of love, but rather the darkness that surrounds them.
The orchestra steers us on effortlessly, Frank repeats his confession and it's over in less than three minutes.
There is real magic here, and it is all so perfectly concise that I don't think I've ever gotten to the end of this song and not wanted to go back for a second listen.
They simply don't make them like this anymore. You must hear this.
You Must Hear This is edited and produced by Ellen Silva and Frannie Kelley. Tom Cole and Kevin Wait produced the mix for All Things Considered.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent. -
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
Best of LAist