1957 · Album
Close to You
Capitol Records · Released: January 22, 1957 · Accompaniment: Hollywood String Quartet
Sinatra and Strings in Perfect Balance
A chamber-pop album where Sinatra's voice and lush orchestration breathe together without either overshadowing the other.
Close to You arrived early in 1957 as Sinatra's eleventh studio album, a collaboration with the Hollywood String Quartet that shows him working in a more intimate, arranged setting than some of his bigger band records. This is not a swinging jazz date in the traditional sense — there are no horns, no drums, no rhythm section pushing underneath. Instead, you get Sinatra's voice over composed string arrangements that support rather than frame him. The album works because both elements know their job. The strings don't crowd the space, and Sinatra doesn't need them to. He sounds relaxed here, almost conversational on several tracks, which is exactly what the records asks for.
What makes this different from much of his Capitol work is the chamber-jazz approach. The Hollywood String Quartet was a classical ensemble, not a pop orchestra, which changes the texture entirely. There's a refinement here, a sense that each note matters because there aren't many notes to begin with. The arrangements are clean, the recording is clear, and Sinatra's phrasing gets room to develop without competition. This is a good entry point if you want to hear him in a subdued mood, or if you prefer his voice in smaller, more detailed settings rather than the lush, wall-of-sound approach he'd use elsewhere.
The album fits somewhere in the middle of Sinatra's discography — solid work during a productive stretch, well-crafted and genuinely listenable, but not one of those records that changed how people thought about singing. It's the sound of a major artist doing chamber pop before that term existed, which is worth hearing on its own terms.
Who's playing
Ed Gilbertdouble bass
Meyer "Mike" Rubindouble bass
Nick Bonneyguitar
George van Epsguitar
Bob Bainguitar
James Williamsonflute
Harry Kleeflute
Frank Flynndrums
Irv Cottlerdrums
Alvin Dinkinviola
The Hollywood String Quartetinstrument
Paul Shureviolin
Eleanor Slatkincello
Felix Slatkinviolin
Mahlon Clarkclarinet
Kathryn Julyeharp
Marvin Limonickviolin
Bill Millercelesta
Israel Bakerviolin
Vincent DeRosaFrench horn
Mitchell Lurieclarinet
Champ Webboboe
