Listening Post

I've said this before and I'll say it over and over again: While I love the Rat Pack as a whole, as any red-blooded American man should, I always thought Sammy Davis Jr. to be the true lightning-in-a-bottle talent of the group. Not only was he the most fully-formed entertainer but he had the ability to reach depths of subtlety with his voice that his crooning counterparts could only dream of. For lush, gorgeous, heartbreaking proof of this, just download the album he did with Spanish guitar legend Laurindo Almeida.

Here's Sammy doing Anthony Newley's Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)?

Have a nice Friday, kids.

Listening Post

Over the years, strangely, Sammy Davis Jr. has become my favorite member of the Rat Pack. I think it has less to do with the fact that he was such a brilliant, fully-formed entertainer than it does with his ability to reach depths of subtlety that his crooning counterparts couldn't dream of. This is a perfect example of what I'm talking about; just listen to the heartbreaking intricacies of his voice on this song, from the album he did with legendary Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida.

Here's Speak Low.

Listening Post

This just warms my heart in all kinds of ways. Two of the greatest entertainers to ever grace the American stage -- Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davis Jr. -- performing together on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Here's the Gershwin classic, S'Wonderful.