If you don’t have a copy of Frank Sinatra’s 1961 Nice ‘n’ Easy, this 69th Anniversary edition (with three bonus songs) is a great excuse to get it. It was his penultimate session for Capitol, and broke his pattern of alternating hard swingers and ballad albums, as this Nelson Riddle-conducted session followed the desultory No One Cares with a collection of relaxed mid-tempo jaunts. It’s epitomized by the laid back finger snap of the title track, as well as on the cover with the perfectly toupee’d Blue Eyes leans back in a vintage sweater and smile.
All of the songs are from Sinatra’s early days, and he simply brings them up to date, mixing nostalgia with Mad Men attitude. He’s wonderfully wanderlust on “I’ve Got A Crush On You” and “Fools Rush In” while coyly bouncing on “Nevertheless (I’m in Love with You”) and “Day In-Day Out”. As always, Sinatra sounds like he’s singing directly to you, cozying up on the couch on “The Nearness of You” and “Embraceable You.” No one seduced like Frank.