Sinatra and the Symphony

Santa Barbara Symphony, under dashingly attired veteran maestro Nir Kabaretti, concluded its 70th anniversary season at the Granada with An Evening with Sinatra with Tony DeSare singing not only the music of Ol’ Blue Eyes, but a medley of favorites by Cole Porter, and wrapping up the highly entertaining show with the 1957 hit, “Great Balls of Fire” by the late Jerry Lee Lewis.

Members of the orchestra were dressed in white dinner jackets for the occasion, while Nir wore a shimmering silver jacket for the big night.

DeSare, who was accompanied by his trio – guitarist Ed Decker, drummer Michael Klopp, and bassist Dylan Shamat – was in fine form, both singing and on the piano.

A Las Vegas regular and performer at New York’s Carnegie Hall, he recounted meeting former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, while entertaining at Manhattan’s Cafe Carlyle, where I used to see pianist Bobby Short in cabaret and, while he was at his home in the south of France during the summer, chanteuse Eartha Kitt slithering over the grand piano.

“Paul really liked one of my love songs and came over at the end of the show to congratulate me,” a very impressed DeSare recounted.

Afterwards a post-concert bash was hosted in the Founders Room with DeSare and Nir serenading Anne Towbes on her birthday, along with other guests including Bob and Val Montgomery, John and Christie Glanville, Dana and Andrea Newquist, Stefan and Christine Riesenfeld, Gretchen Lieff, Dana Hansen, and Janet Garufis.