Page 14 Cassiar Courier March 1988 CRITICAL NOTE The voice of Frank Sinatra is as recognizable as is his name and both conjure up different emotions in people. The publicity has caused much of the public to contemplate whether he is or is not a nice man and this has foreshadowed his art. A highly volatile and erotic nature has been well documented by Kitty Kelly to the extent you might not realize the man ever sang a note. The reading public tends to dwell more on what it reads than what it hears - the written word dominates the vocal art. The press has hounded this man, even following him overseas, during his unhappy marriage to Ava Gardner and asked personal questions in an offen- sive manner and exaggerated his every human weakness. The average man has never been subjected to this treat- ment and | don’t believe would react any better than many artists. Naturally any. artist in the public eye must expect coverage by the press and in the beginning of a career often seeks out this exposure - but this is for the benefit of a career and not an open - come as you may invitation to their personal life. The practice of evaluating the art soon digresses into an evaluation of the lifestyle and habits of the artist. An attack on the art is often used as a form or retribution for an artist who has spurned the invasion of his personal life by the press. For a singer of Frank Sinatra’s stature we can see the effects of his personal life in his singing - emotional defeats in life often render vocal performances with more authenticity. The other aspect of the art is the dedication and discrim- ination of the singer - Frank Sinatra could have demanded less of himself and still found fame, but he did not. The evolution from boy singer to band singer to consumate artist is a rarity in the world of song - he has become to fellow singers the yardstick of greatness. It is the journey to this level that this article will address itself - the inter- twining of life and art. In 1944 Frank Sinatra started riots at the Para- mount Theatre - the vehicle of his greatness at this point was his appeal to the young bobby-soxer generation - he was the first teen idol. He was a very, very good singer at this point in his career but the voice, however beautiful was two-dimensional - the complexities and shadings he would later develop were only barely visible at this point. The sound was innocent, vulnerable, emotionally seduc- tive and delivered in a subtle manner. Frank Sinatra learned to master the art of vocal- ization from studying the masters of his day and by in- corporating various ingredients devised a style that would make him one of the best singers in the world. From Bing Crosby he learned how to use a microphone - the amplifi- cation negated the need to push the voice and revealed hidden resources of vocal timbre and allowed an intimate style of singing. From Tommy Dorsey he learned a tech- nique whereby he could sustain a vocal line for such a per- iod of time that it was smooth and seamless - approximat- ing speech. He would write out the lyrics of a tune where- by he could concentrate on the words and absorb their hear from you The Justice Reform Committee was recently established by Attorney General Brian R.D. Smith, Q.C., “to improve the justice system in this province so that it is more relevant, more accessible, more efficient and less costly, with the result that it may be better understood and respected by all our citizens.” Chaired by the Deputy Attorney General, the Committee consists of seven other members who bring a diverse background in law, justice and civic administration. The specific areas the Committee will focus on include: © Civil Law: how can the trial process be shortened and simplified and the cost reduced? ¢ Criminal Law: how can criminal trial procedure be streamlined? e Court Structure: how can overlaps be eliminated and a more integrated structure be achieved? e Alternate Dispute Resolution: how can processes such as arbitration and mediation be effectively used? The Committee wants to hear your concerns and suggestions about our justice system. You can provide your ideas by: e submitting them in writing before May 15, 1988. e presenting them orally or in writing at one of the public hearings which will be held between February 19 and May 15, 1988 in Nelson, Prince George, Terrace, Kelowna, Victoria, Campbell River, Vancouver and New Westminster (specific dates, location and appearance instructions will be published at a later date). Inquiries and written submissions should be made to: Justice Reform Committee c/o Mrs. Joanne Palmer Office of the Deputy Attorney General 5th Floor 910 Government Street Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4 Phone: 387-1578 Attorney, General. _ he Justice Reform Committee wants to 4 The Honourable Brian R.D. Smith, QC. “OLD BLUE EYES” de An FRANK SINATRA 3 an Nicholson meaning in the absence of the music. He realized that technique was admirable in vocalizing but without the emotion of a tune properly communicated it was merely pleasant sounds. From Billie Holiday he learned to lay back on the beat while the rhythm of his accompaniment carried him along allowing the song to open up before him, making a lyric into a story. He went to the small clubs and listened to Billie Holiday and Mabel Mercer.who he credits with teaching him how to handle a lyric-il- luminating the meaning and substance of a song. You can dance to much of his music, but Sinatra sings for listening, for communicating to another being. His work is often used for background music, which betrays more about the listener than about the performer. In the early Forties at Columbia we hear the young vocalist singing with lush string arrangements while exploring a new world away from the structured big band sound of Tommy Dorsey. In the early Fifties his record- ing career with Columbia soured and his popularity was on the wane. In 1953 he moved to Capitol Records and with a hit movie and two new arrangers - Nelson Riddle and Billy May his career all but instantly turned around. Away from the dreadful material of his latter years at Columbia he was fortunate to record some American clas- sics that became known not as the works of their compos- ers but as “Sinatra songs”: “Angel Eyes”, “I’m A Fool To Want You”, “You Go To My Head”, “Ghost Of A Chance”’, “Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry”. These became the definitive versions of these songs. May was the arranger for the up-tempo swing albums and Riddle for the ballads. His singing took on a passion and he often decided to record the better songs of the past with a new sense of understanding both of his vocal resources and emotional depth. His failed marriage with Ava Gardner was often credited for a new sense of vulnerability and sadness that was communicated in his performances. He had forty years of living on his side - the vulnerable boy had matured into the experienced adult. The next career move was the formation of his own record label (Reprise) in the Sixties. He did a tribute album for Tommy Dorsey (I Remember Tommy) and brought in Sy Oliver who had. arranged for the band. Here we get to see a startling demonstration of the growth of Sinatra in a comparison of his two recordings of “East of the Sun’. In 1940 we hear the voice of a likable juvenile and in the other the work of a seasoned artist at the peak of his powers. Don Costa arranged the uptempo tunes and Gordon Jenkins handled the ballads. From “Sinatra & Strings” we get a stunning performance of ‘‘] Have Dreamed’’ as well as “It Might As Well Be Spring”. When the musical tide turned Sinatra felt his audience slipping away and tried to adapt to the change by recording “Strangers In The Night”, ‘Softly As I Leave You”, “That’s Life” and “Summer Wind”. Some ath his gifts RELAX! or Assistance in Preparing Your Income Tax Return CONTACT JIM McGILL Certified General Accountant 119 Connell Drive, Cassiar, B.C. __Phone: 778-7509. After-6:00 pm. brought his own brand of magic to many of these tunes and in some cases raised that quality of the song by his interpretation. Naturally not all these songs seem instrin- - sic or believeable to the image he had created through the years but every singer has their share of hits and misses. Surprisingly he had a number one hit with his daughter Nancy in the song “Something Stupid”. He complained that nobody was writing songs for him and at the age of fifty-six announced his retirement. He returned two years later with a new voice that was the culmination of all his years - the fabled breath control had become weaker, the voice harsher and there was some uncertainty entering his upper range and his lower range seemed rough around the edges. The comeback album was entitled “O14 Blue Eyes Is Back” with the standout tracks “Send In The Clowns” and “Let Me Try Again”. Some critics attacked this album as a rip-off from an artist who no longer had a voice - others recognized the progression of the man who sang “September Of My Years” - his vocal weaknesses had become plusses in the art of interpretation. At age sixty he recorded “Trilogy” a three album set that covered the “past, present and future” of this singing career. By far the best album is the “past”? in which he records more mature versions of old standards he did in his younger years and these become the definitive versions. The voice had come back from nowhere - stronger, more assured than the voice just after his comeback. Standout tunes from this record include “But Not For Me”, “Let’s Face The Music” and “J Had The Craziest Dream” - the latter recalling the time he spent with the Pied Pipers in the Tommy Dorsey band. In 1984 he recorded his last album with standout tracks “Stormy Weather” and “How Do You Keep the Music Playing” and “Mack the Knife”. Here in his singing we see the marriage of Sinatra’s life and Sinatra’s art finally begin to matter - re-recording of past tunes reveals the union. Living one’s life in public creates an audience of its own and when musical styles change these artists are still in demand with each new headline creating a new audience. Surviving has proved both an advantage and disadvantage to Sinatra - the youthful image grows pale with age and the talent is not so sure - there are no cults surrounding him as those artists that died young. He has not demonstrated the self-destruction or tragedy of Monroe, Piaf, Garland or Dean whose youthful images have become symbols for new generations. It will be safe to predict that once Sinatra does pass on the critics who have attacked him personally and artistically will applaude his valuable contribution to the world of entertainment. It does seem both sad and embarrassing that an artist of this magnitude be bombarded with such assaults upon his personal lifestyle and artistic performance. The press neither seems to make an attempt to understand the person or forgive past misjudgements, both personal and. professional. As a culture we seem to thrive on putting up entertainers as idols and then when we tire of them or find them too powerful, tear them down. The reviews and articles on these entertainers often reveal more about For Advice - DRUGS; USE AND ABUSE RO MARIJUANA - FACT AND FICTION It is interesting to note how little most of us know about marijuana (pot). Since the early 1960’s, pot has become an increasingly socially acceptable drug. Many of it’s proponents claim that it is no more harmful than alcohol. In the following series, I will present some of the more recent findings about marijuana. BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA Marijuana is most often smoked in cigarette form, but may also be ingested in cookies, tea, etc. Marijuana smoke is composed of several hundred chem- icals, many of them toxic. Its potency varies from weak to extremely powerful. To understand marijuana, you need to know two things about it: 1. Its chemical components. 2. The solubility of these chemicals. CHEMICAL COMPONENTS There are over 421 chemicals in marijuana. This number increases to over 2,000 when it is smoked. More than 61 of these 421 chemicals are called cannabinoids and are found in no other plant. All cannabinoids tested to date are biologically active. This means that each cannabinoid will alter some normal function of a living organism. These al- terations may not be visible since they occur at the cellular level, but they can be documented in research laboratories. One of these cannabinoids is delta-9-tetra-hydro- cannabinol. This is the psychoactive cannabinoid that causes the familiar marijuana “high”. “THC” stands for the several chemicals in the tetrahydrocannabinol class. The potency of marijuana is determined by the amount of THC it contains. The higher the THC content, the more intoxicating and harmful it becomes. The marijuana grown today is up to 10 times more potent than that used prior to 1970. All cannabinoids have one important factor in common: They react on all types of living cells by interfering with the cell’s ability to manufacture pivotal molecules, ; by Gerry Gramek SOLUBILITY The major chemical components (all cannabinoids) of marijuana are fat soluble. This means that they do not mix with water, but they do mix with fat. The body is rich in fat and fat-like material (collec- tively called lipids). The brain, lungs, and sex organs are especially loaded with lipids. Once the THC from marijuana is in the storage sites, it is released ever so slowly into the blood stream. THC is similar to DDT in the way that it accumulates - in fat tissue. When this happens, every function in the body. is depressed: - Energy level - Thinking - Sperm count - Testosterone production - Ovulation - Even the sense of time RETENTION OF CHEMICALS The marijuana “high” is rather short-lived, and the detectable effects during this time are significant, but there is more to it than that. When a single mari- juana cigarette is smoked, THC and other cannabinoids have an average half-life of about 72 hours in the human body. Half-life is the time it takes the body to break down and/or get rid of one half of the drug taken into the body. It takes 21 days to excrete THC and fat-soluble chemicals from a single marijuana cigarette. Stored — in the cells of the liver, iungs, brain, spleen, lymphoid tissues and sex organs, half of the THC leaves these cells in the first three days. “The remaining half is re- leased into the blood stream ever so slowly over the next 18 days. At the end of this time less than 1% remains in the body. This is as a result of smoking only one marijuana cigarette. ie However, if one is a regular marijuana smoker (ie. smoking 2 joints per week for six months), the fatty areas of the body become completely, saturated with fat-soluble chemicals. Traces of THC are still found in the body after several months have passed. 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