Catch five-time Grammy nominated vocalist and award-winning entertainer, Seth MacFarlane as he takes the stage this week, July 3-5, at Voltaire at The Venetian. Guests will be treated to an evening of MacFarlane’s distinct voice backed by a 38-piece orchestra as he belts out never-before-heard arrangements from legendary singer Frank Sinatra’s musical archives. MacFarlane’s three-night engagement follows the recent release of his album Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements. Las Vegas Magazine caught up with MacFarlane through email to ask a few questions about his new album and what fans can expect from his Voltaire performances.
Tell us the story of how you got access to these twelve, never-before-heard musical arrangements written for Frank Sinatra.
Frank Sinatra Jr. used to guest star on Family Guy periodically, and at the time, he was the steward of all of his father’s arrangements. When he passed away, the library went to his sister, Tina Sinatra, who remains a close friend to this day. She allowed us to comb through the 1,200 or so boxes, and what we found were a number of arrangements Sinatra had never recorded, many of them written by the most renowned arrangers of the 20th century—Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Don Costa. There were enough of these unrecorded charts to sustain an entire album and then some, about 100.
Was there any preparation process? Favorite songs to record?
First, we had to hear what we actually had in the archives. So my composer and producing partner, Joel McNeely, and I assembled an orchestra on the Fox lot and played about 60-70 of the charts over two days. It was an incredible experience to hear these arrangements for the first time, because the stylistic signatures of these great arrangers were unmistakable, but what we were hearing was completely new.
What is it about Sinatra’s music, and the music of The Great American Songbook, that prompted you to bring this music to life and incorporate it into all of your other endeavors?
That was an era of high musicality that has never been matched over the years. It’s songwriting in its purest form. In subsequent decades, most songs could be classified within a genre, say, rock, disco, R&B, etc., but you can’t do that with the Great American Songbook. It sort of exists outside genre. It’s pure melodic songwriting and can be played in just about any style. As far as Sinatra is concerned, what separated him from his contemporaries was his awareness of the importance of orchestration, and how it could elevate a vocal. He took what were often older songs written in the 1920s and 1930s, revitalized them, and made them his own utilizing all the colors of the orchestra, turning them into classics.
While you work in various different creative mediums —TV, film, animation, etc.— what do you love most about performing onstage?
I do it so I can listen to the orchestra play. There’s nothing better.
For your shows at Voltaire, how big an orchestra will you be playing with? What instruments? What can guests expect?
I’m thrilled to be playing with a world-class 38-piece orchestra that includes brass, woodwinds, strings, and a legendary rhythm section. Audiences can expect a few never-before-played songs from my new album, Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements, some charts from the immense history of orchestral jazz that once flourished Las Vegas, and some jokes thrown in to boot.
The Venetian. voltairelv.com
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