Trumpet star Mike Lovatt has told 4BR that he has been humbled by the response to his latest musical initiative — 'Francis Albert — A Capitol Reprise', which made its concert debut at the recent Harrogate Festival.
A tribute to the iconic Frank Sinatra recordings made at the famous Studio A at 1750 Vine Street, Hollywood during the late 1950s and early 1960s, it features hits from legendry composer/arrangers such as Billy May, Gordon Jenkins, Elmer Bernstein and Alec Wilder given a twist of reimagination by Mike's long time musical associate and friend Colin Skinner.
Sinatra peak
Those lucky to be at Harrogate Theatre were treated to Mike's 25-piece 'Brass Pack' made up of French horns, piano, tuba and harps to supplement the main brass, drums and percussion on stunning form, as well as offering him and star vocalist Matt Ford the backing that brought echoes flooding back of Sinatra and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra at the peak.
"It's been a brilliant project to bring to life as it's been so close to my heart," Mike told 4BR. "It is my tribute to those incredible Capitol and Reprise recording label releases when the best of the very best was together to make incredible music.
Sinatra recorded next to the band and not in a separate booth to give things a unique sound quality. Listen to the recordings and everything moves as one."
Credit
Mike is adamant that the credit for the project's success goes to Colin Skinner.
"I have no hesitation in calling him a genius when it comes to doing what he does. His arrangements of the originals are brilliantly authentic, but with the DNA of those Capitol recordings weaved into every bar."
He added: "I wanted to give things a bit of a twist, so the make up of the band is different. The players though are something else and they have this music flowing through their veins — the great trombone player Gordon Campbell just about more than anyone else I know."
The hits flowed on the night in Harrogate — from the opening 'Sinatra Overture' that featured snippets of hits such 'Strangers in the Night' to 'New York, New York', to the epic 'Sinatra in Hollywood' finale that saw the band ping out even more legendary classics from 'Three Coins in a Fountain' to 'My Kind of Town' and more.
In between came everything from a new take on 'The Tender Trap' to 'Dindi', 'The Man with the Golden Arm' to 'You Make Me Feel So Young'.
His (Colin Skinners) arrangements of the originals are brilliantly authentic, but with the DNA of those Capitol recordings weaved into every barMike Lovatt
Ford and Farnon
The Harrogate debut saw Mike not only saw Mike connect up once more with Matt Ford, but also play the duet 'The Moon was Yellow' with trumpeter Tom Walsh, the grandson of the composer Robert Farnon who orchestrated the original for the Sinatra recordings.
"Matt is brilliant — and I've been fortunate to have heard him on some of the biggest stages around. His appreciation of the originals is marked, but he also brings his own twist on things.
And just thinking of that connection that links Tom to Sinatra through his grandfather still puts a chill down the spine. It really does make playing with him extra special — and he is some player too!"
Snape Maltings
Mike and his Brass Pack are now looking forward to performing 'Francis Albert — A Capitol Reprise', at the Britten Pears Arts Festival at Snape Maltings on Friday 11th August (7.30pm).
"I've been totally humbled by the response to the Harrogate concert,"Mike added. "To see so many people there that I knew and so many from the brass band world was something else — and ensured we had to play at our best!
Now we have another great venue to look forward to and I hope people enjoy listening to the music as much as we do performing it."
Tickets
To buy tickets for 'Mike Lovatt's Brass Pack: Sounds of Sinatra' go to:
https://brittenpearsarts.org/events/mike-lovatts-brass-pack-sounds-of-sinatra
