September of My Years was recorded in 1965 when Frank Sinatra would soon turn 50; this is a concept album that ranks among his finest.
“Sinatra has lived enough for two lives, and can sing now of September… an attitude or an age or a wistful reality. For this man, it is a time of love. A time to sing.” ~ Stan Cornyn, 1965
September of My Years was recorded in 1965 when Frank Sinatra would soon turn 50; under the skilled arrangements of conductor Gordon Jenkins, the album is a departure from the swinging tempos of Frank’s releases with Nelson Riddle and Billy May or Don Costa. It harkens back to the 1959 issue of No One Cares, a concept album that explored the dissolution of Sinatra’s fabled romance with Ava Gardner. Not by chance was that album also arranged by Jenkins.
The new concept – the contemplation of age, the reflection of a life well-lived, and the inexorable changes that come with time. Jenkins as director and arranger understood there was little need for a big swinging band with up-tempo horns. He called in symphony players, including nine violinists. The result is a thoughtful, low-key affair that makes for perfect late-night listening. Jenkins himself contributes two of the songs: “How Old Am I?”, and “This Is All I Ask”.
This is the most personal of all Sinatra records, ranging in mood and texture from contemplation of love affairs to the realization of one’s mortality. The comparison of September, of changing leaves, to encroaching old age, to the onset of winter as the death of youthful dreams, is far from an original idea, but Sinatra’s mature voice brings a warm and thoughtful reality to the material. The title track, a classic composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, set the stage for reflection, while material such as “Don’t Wait Too Long” and “Hello, Young Lovers” make it clear that the album is not a lonely affair. The record is in many ways a celebration of love.
The centrepiece is the magnificent “It Was A Very Good Year”, which surprisingly became one of the top singles of 1965-66, and indeed won Sinatra a Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance of 1966. This is Sinatra at the peak of his form, so much so that he was never able to match the recording with a live performance that delivered such power and authenticity. Gordon Jenkins won the Grammy for best instrumental arrangement. The song was originally a folk song written for the Kingston Trio, but in the hands of Sinatra and Jenkins it becomes a model of restraint, of vocal perfection and instrumental beauty.
The album, September of My Years, also won the Grammy for Best Album of the Year. Sixty years later this record stands as one of the finest in all of the Sinatra catalogue. Should it be called jazz, or is it popular, is a question that might well be asked. Without a doubt, this is superb music-making that belongs in every library, regardless of category.
