Jan 24, 2023 11:48 AM
Remembering Jeff Beck
One of an iconic triumvirate of ’60s rock guitar gods, along with Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck set the…
Frank Sinatra with the Jan Savitt Orchestra at the Strand Theater in New York, 1945.
(Photo: William “PoPsie” Randolph, from Frank Sinatra—New York, NY 1939–1956)Michael Randolph, son of legendary photographer William “PoPsie” Randolph (1920–’78), has created a limited-edition hardcover book featuring his father’s rare and intimate shots of Frank Sinatra. The 115-page book, which includes images of Sinatra both onstage and off, is available at Amazon.
Many of the photos in Frank Sinatra—New York, NY 1939–1956 have never been published before. In striking detail, they capture the young singer as he begins his ascendant career in New York, first with the bands of Tommy Dorsey and Harry James and later as a superstar vocalist in his own right.
Born William Sezenias to Greek immigrant parents in Manhattan, “PoPsie” Randolph got his start in the music industry as a roadie for Benny Goodman’s band. On Dec. 30, 1942, a young Randolph was at the Paramount Theatre in Times Square when Sinatra, then 27 years old, opened for Goodman’s orchestra. Randolph’s images are the only known photos of that historic performance.
In a foreword to the book, journalist Barry Singer expounds on the fortuitous ways in which Randolph and Sinatra’s careers often intertwined.
“Randolph loved to follow Frank Sinatra around; from the get-go, Sinatra may have been his favorite camera subject,” he writes. “As a result, PoPsie Randolph was in the right place at the right time—as he would be again and again in a photo-taking career that would ultimately encompass four decades and every important personality, from swing to rock ’n’ roll.
“Looking at his photographs today of young Sinatra, you can see all of the kid’s history in his expression and in his body language; the cocky assurance and the fidgety fella from Hoboken, the innate star and the raw rookie … .”
For more information on Frank Sinatra—New York, NY 1939–1956, visit popsiephotos.com.
“In the pantheons of guitar players, Jeff was the chosen one,” said Steve Vai of the late Jeff Beck.
Jan 24, 2023 11:48 AM
One of an iconic triumvirate of ’60s rock guitar gods, along with Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck set the…
Dec 13, 2022 3:52 PM
Need some additional gift ideas for the jazz fan on your shopping list? Check out DownBeat’s Best Albums of 2022.
Author Richard Koloda spent two decades researching this addition to the legend of free-jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler.
Dec 13, 2022 12:15 PM
When considering what to buy those who are impossible to buy for (guilty, as charged), loved ones can’t go wrong with…
Gretchen Valade
Jan 3, 2023 12:45 PM
EDITOR’S NOTE: As this edition of the DownBeat Enewsletter was about to go out, we learned of the passing of jazz…
“Often, the vibraphone can create this abstract, mellow mood,” says Marsalis, shown here with journalist Michael Jackson.
Jan 17, 2023 2:15 PM
Drummer/vibraphonist Jason Marsalis, in town with the New Orleans Groovemasters, took time for a listening session and…