Each Saturday at 8 p.m., and then again on Sunday at 6, our local PBS station has an hour-long presentation of this kind - classic performances by prominent entertainers, mostly musical.Saw the first ten minutes of this program yesterday before having to leave, but made certain I caught it today.This is a perfect piece of entertainment, seeing this iconic entertainer, about to turn 50 (aired in Nov., a month before his 50th birthday). It's simple, him alone on-stage, with his two "primo" conductors/arrangers, Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins, conducting.Although he had a cold, and completed over two evenings, you'd never know it. This is perhaps the best presentation - ever - to view this great performer, all the more so for its pure simplicity of production. Also has more than normal nostalgic effect, this being the period of the "Rat Pack," a few years following "Ocean's Eleven," two years following JFK's assassination, and in the heart of the eventful 60's, reminiscent of the many events which had occurred then, and would ensue in the decade's balance.

Frank Sinatra: The Man and His Music (1965) *** (out of 4) Emmy winning concert from Frank Sinatra has him talking about many of his songs and features classics like "Come Fly With Me", "You Make Me Feel So Young", "I Get a Kick Out of You", "My Kind of Town", "Young at Heart" and "I've Got the World on a String". This is a rather interesting concert and I read at various sites that Sinatra had a bad cold when they started filming this, which is obvious in several scenes where you can see him wiping his running nose and one scene where he steps away from the mic to cough. The visual look of the concert is what you'd call laid back but I found it pretty boring visually because nothing ever happens. I don't think we need anything too flashy but moving the camera every once in a while wouldn't be a bad idea. The highlight of course is Sinatra doing the singing. Out of all the songs performed I'd say "Young at Heart" would be the highlight but his performance on all of them is very good. The stories he tells aren't among the best I've heard from him but if you're a fan then this special offers up enough nice moments to make it worth watching.

There's a very '65 look to this TV special with FRANK SINATRA belting out his songs on some very simple sets, backed by the graceful orchestral arrangements of Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins.He's totally at ease but his quips could have been better scripted. Howevever, he does justice to a dozen songs and never loses his poise or his cool.The numbers are: Without A Song, I Get A Kick Out of You, Nancy with the Laughing Face, My Kind of Town, It Was A Very Good Year, Young at Heart, The Girl Next Door, Beautiful Girl, Come Fly With Me, I've Got the World on a String, Witchcraft, You Make Me Feel So Young and Put Your Dreams Away.Should please all Sinatra fans.

In this television special, the first in the series I believe, Frank goes it alone....and that's the way I like it. I bought this to hear and watch Sinatra, not other people.Here, Frank sings some of his more famous numbers (and favorites of mine) such as "I've Got You Under My Skin," "I Get A Kick Out Of You," "My Kind Of Town," "Come Fly With Me," "Witchcraft," and "The Lady Is A Tramp." I only wish the songs were a bit longer, as most of them were two minutes long....or less.The show looked dated with the mid '60s set designs, music and even the jokes. The sets and script could have used some punching up. I saw this on tape a few times and I hope the DVD enhances the sound, more than what it was on the VHS.Sinatra also sounded a bit hoarse on a few numbers. However, he was till pretty solid on most of the work and his delivery style was always entertaining to watch. If you're a fan of his, this is a keeper since it has so many of his better songs.