Sammy Davis Jr. Live Album Art

Live and Swingin’ is undoubtedly for those who already own some of the guys’ worthier recordings. Oh, but the guys? Frank, Dean, and Sammy (or, as Jackie Mason had it on The Simpsons, "the Candy Man!") For most anyone who cares, though, this is a must-buy item: a slightly edited version of the 1962 Villa Venice tapes along with a DVD that preserves a rarely seen, full-length serious/funny/anarchic Rat Pack performance from ’65. (For sentimentalists’ sake, it was taped on Tina Sinatra’s 17th birthday; she makes a brief appearance onstage with the fellas.) All kidding aside, the trio makes with the serious singing – though perhaps those who came to hear Sammy get through an entire mini-set without interruption will want to go elsewhere, as his partners’ shtick barely allows him to finish a line, much less a song. Sinatra aficionados will find the DVD indispensable, as he paws his way through a mellow version of "My Kind of Town" (benefit location "St. Louis"!) and "Fly Me to the Moon." --Rickey Wright