“A friend is never an imposition.” —Frank Sinatra
The time was the early 1950s. The place was Hollywood, and the world was that of the recording studio, a world Frank Sinatra was about to conquer anew. If you were fortunate enough to be on Sinatra’s good side, you possessed an unparalleled friend. Conversely, finding yourself on his bad side meant facing a formidable adversary. This was the common perception of the legendary entertainer. Fortunately for the Slatkin family, the warmth of his friendship was a constant presence.
This intimate perspective comes from Leonard Slatkin, the acclaimed conductor, whose parents, Felix Slatkin and Eleanor Aller, were central figures in the Hollywood music scene and close confidantes of Sinatra. Leonard, born in 1944, and his brother Fred, born in 1947, grew up with Sinatra as a familiar figure, already well-acquainted with their parents by the time they arrived. Felix Slatkin served as the concertmaster for the Twentieth Century Fox orchestra, while Eleanor Aller held the principal cellist position at Warner Brothers—the first woman to lead a section in any major studio orchestra. Understanding the layers behind the legend, through the eyes of those who knew him best, reveals that This Is Frank Sinatra: a man of intense loyalty, deep musical curiosity, and complex character.
Sinatra’s Hollywood Reinvention: The Capitol Years Begin
Sinatra harbored a profound curiosity about classical music. During his time with Columbia Records in New York, he had even conducted an album featuring compositions by Alec Wilder. This fact alone challenges the persistent myth that Sinatra couldn’t read music. While perhaps not adept at sight-reading complex scores instantly, he possessed a solid understanding of musical notation fundamentals.
Following a contentious split with Columbia Records in 1952, Frank Sinatra made Hollywood his permanent base. He inked a six-year deal with Capitol Records, a move spurred by the label’s impressive roster—including Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, and George Shearing—and the promise of greater artistic control. Capitol offered fertile ground for collaboration, but first, Sinatra needed to reshape his image.
The era of bow ties and legions of bobbysoxers was ending. Sinatra aimed to retain his devoted fanbase while cultivating a new audience, one more inclined towards sophisticated listening than dancing. At Capitol, he would collaborate with the industry’s elite: top producers, engineers, arrangers, and musicians. This transition coincided with the rise of West Coast jazz, which was beginning to permeate popular music culture. As Charles L. Granata noted in Sessions with Sinatra, “Capitol was everything a record label strove to be: chic, cool, artsy, hip. … Soon, Sinatra would discover that going there was the single greatest move of his career.”
Forging a New Sound: The Riddle Partnership
Transitioning from a big band crooner to a jazz-influenced vocalist wasn’t seamless. Initially, Sinatra leaned towards retaining his long-time arranger, Axel Stordahl. Early singles under this partnership at Capitol didn’t quite capture the magic Sinatra sought. It became evident that a change was needed, paving the way for the arrival of Nelson Riddle.
The Sinatra-Riddle pairing proved to be legendary. Leonard Slatkin recalls his parents being present during this pivotal moment. Relying heavily on their musical judgment, Frank sought their counsel. Felix and Eleanor were among the first to encourage him, affirming that Riddle’s sophisticated, jazz-inflected arrangements represented the right path forward for his evolving artistry.
The Hollywood String Quartet: Classical Meets Crooner
The Slatkins’ connection to Capitol Records predated Sinatra’s arrival. Felix and Eleanor, along with violinist Paul Shure and violist Paul Robyn, formed the Hollywood String Quartet (HSQ) and signed with the label in 1947. Their choice of name, deliberately including “Hollywood,” sparked criticism from some corners of the classical world who preferred a more traditional moniker like the “Los Angeles String Quartet.”
However, Felix Slatkin firmly believed in elevating the status of film music, asserting that the artistry within the motion picture world deserved recognition equal to that of the “serious” high-art community. The HSQ became renowned primarily through their recordings, as demanding studio schedules limited their ability to tour extensively. They performed regularly in San Francisco and various Los Angeles venues, including Sunday afternoon concerts at the art museum, though recordings of many live performances remain elusive.
By 1952, the Hollywood String Quartet had earned global recognition as one of the finest chamber ensembles. Their recordings, spanning both well-known repertoire and more obscure works, consistently garnered critical acclaim. It was therefore natural that Sinatra, seeking the highest caliber musicianship for his Capitol projects, would enlist the HSQ for nearly all his recording sessions during this era.
Personal Moments: ‘Uncle Frank’
Even before the official Capitol sessions commenced, Sinatra was a frequent visitor to the Slatkin home, drawn by the opportunity to listen to the quartet rehearse. Leonard Slatkin shares cherished childhood memories from this time. During rehearsal breaks, “Uncle Frank,” as the Slatkin children called him, would often take young Leonard and Fred upstairs, tuck them into bed, and sing them lullabies. Receiving a personal serenade from “The Voice” remains a treasured memory.
Sinatra’s Capitol sessions were a gathering of musical titans. Alongside the Slatkins, legendary studio musicians like flutist Arthur Gleghorn, clarinetist Mitchell Lurie, French hornist Vince DeRosa, and trumpeters Shorty Rogers and Manny Klein contributed their talents. Pianist Bill Miller, who collaborated with Sinatra for over five decades, was a constant presence and a frequent visitor to the Slatkin home during periods when Nelson Riddle and Felix Slatkin were working on arrangements.
The Slatkins also became part of Sinatra’s social circle, visiting his beautiful home off Coldwater Canyon Road. There, young Leonard encountered Hollywood royalty like Danny Kaye, Robert Mitchum, and Lauren Bacall, though at the time, they were simply familiar faces in Uncle Frank’s orbit. Eleanor Slatkin recounted an evening showcasing Sinatra’s generosity: “Frank was an unbelievable host… I looked up and said, ‘Oh my God—that clown is absolutely incredible!’ I went bananas over this painting, which he had created himself. When we left, it was in my car—he gave it to me!”
Family trips extended to Palm Springs and Las Vegas during the mid-Fifties. In Palm Springs, Leonard recalls discovering some risqué photos of Marilyn Monroe and even a deck of cards featuring the starlet. He also vividly remembers a painful sunburn incident by Sinatra’s pool, prompting Frank to call a doctor immediately for treatment. In Las Vegas, the family stayed at the Desert Inn, a premier resort at the time where Sinatra had debuted in 1951. Though children couldn’t gamble, Uncle Frank permitted Leonard and Fred to play the slot machines. They spent days by the pool while their parents enjoyed the Vegas nightlife with Sinatra, occasionally hearing announcements over the P.A. system summoning them to Mr. Sinatra’s suite.
Recording Milestones and Studio Life
Sinatra’s initial Capitol recordings were made at the KHJ radio station studios on Melrose Avenue. Frank and the Slatkins were consulted on the venue’s acoustics, agreeing it suited diverse musical styles, contributing to the exceptional sound quality of his early Fifties albums like Songs for Young Lovers and Swing Easy. These recordings featured relatively small orchestral forces, prominently showcasing each member of the Hollywood String Quartet alongside saxophones and other winds. Nearby establishments like Nicodell’s bar and Lucey’s restaurant became regular post-session haunts for musicians and producers.
Sinatra was deeply involved in the recording process, relying heavily on playbacks. He would listen intently in the control booth after initial takes, often accompanied by his principal musicians, before returning to the studio floor to provide precise instructions. One famous anecdote highlights Eleanor Aller’s candor. When asked by Sinatra for her opinion on a first take, she bluntly replied in front of everyone, “It sounded like shit!” This directness, perhaps startling to others, likely stemmed from the trusted relationship she shared with Frank.
The Capitol Tower and Shifting Sounds
As Capitol Records expanded globally, the Melrose Avenue facility became inadequate. In 1954, plans were finalized for a new headquarters: the iconic Capitol Tower at Hollywood and Vine. Designed to house offices and three state-of-the-art recording studios, the building aimed to accommodate most of Capitol’s artists, excluding only the largest orchestral ensembles.
By the time the Tower was completed, Sinatra was Capitol’s biggest star, and the Hollywood String Quartet was its leading classical act. Fittingly, the first album recorded in the new building involved both, though unconventionally. Tone Poems of Color featured Sinatra not as a vocalist, but as a conductor, leading an orchestra performing works inspired by colors of the rainbow. Despite coaching from Felix Slatkin (an experienced conductor from the concertmaster’s chair), the album, while conceptually interesting, failed to resonate with Sinatra’s fanbase and saw lackluster sales.
Leonard Slatkin humorously recalls his father’s tall tales about the Tower’s unique round design, claiming it resembled a record changer spindle and that floors magically shifted positions hourly. The young Leonard, gullible at the time, would wait futilely on the street corner to witness this non-existent event.
Architecturally significant, the Tower initially presented acoustic challenges. Musicians struggled with balance and a “dry” sound. Engineers addressed this by installing concrete echo chambers 30 feet underground, adding reverberation and vibrancy – features still present today, along with Studio B, where Sinatra recorded his subsequent hits.
The first vocal album Sinatra recorded in the new Tower, Close to You, became one of his most acclaimed and personal projects, born directly from his friendship with the Slatkins. Following the success of the introspective In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning, Frank asked Nelson Riddle to arrange songs specifically featuring him alongside the Hollywood String Quartet. This placed the “classically” oriented ensemble front and center.
Intensive planning sessions involving Sinatra, Riddle, and Felix Slatkin took place at the Slatkin residence. While Sinatra initially envisioned only the quartet as accompaniment, Felix persuaded him to incorporate occasional woodwinds and harp for textural variety across the twelve tracks. The meticulous creation process resulted in a critically lauded album. However, released during a period when Sinatra’s upbeat records dominated the charts, Close to You initially suffered low sales. Time has been kind, and the album is now revered by many as a masterpiece, showcasing Sinatra and Riddle at their peak, achieving cult status. Three unreleased tracks from the sessions, including the playfully risqué “There’s a Flaw in my Flue,” were later issued on CD.
Defining ‘The Voice’: Sinatra’s Unique Artistry
What exactly made Frank Sinatra’s singing so extraordinary? His instantly recognizable voice evolved over the years, yet certain qualities remained constant. Leonard Slatkin identifies three key attributes: flawless intonation (the ability to consistently sing perfectly in tune), profound attention to lyrical meaning (making listeners believe every word), and a unique mastery of time.
Especially in ballads, Sinatra seemed to operate outside the strict confines of musical bar lines, which composers began using around the 16th century to denote rhythm. While most singers align notes precisely with the beat, Sinatra possessed an uncanny ability to place notes slightly before or after their notated position, creating a sense of suspended time, imbuing phrases with deep emotional weight. This rhythmic flexibility, or rubato, allowed him to deliver lyrics with unparalleled conversational intimacy and feeling. It wasn’t just singing notes; it was inhabiting the song. For many, This Is Frank Sinatra‘s genius – the masterful blend of technical precision and profound emotional interpretation.
Changing Tides and Farewells
The musical landscape shifted significantly by 1957. The advent of stereo technology transformed listening habits, aiming to replicate the live music experience more closely. Capitol Records’ classical division was acquired by the British company EMI, the chilling effect of the McCarthy hearings impacted the studio system, and Sinatra began exploring collaborations with different arrangers. Amidst these changes, the bond between the Sinatra and Slatkin families remained strong.
However, the Hollywood String Quartet faced uncertainty. EMI, now owning Capitol’s classical assets, already had the acclaimed London-based Amadeus Quartet on its roster. From a business perspective, maintaining two world-class quartets on the same label seemed redundant. EMI chose to retain the British ensemble, effectively ending the HSQ’s relationship with the label that had launched their international fame.
Despite recent triumphs, including a highly successful European debut at the Edinburgh Festival performing late Beethoven quartets, and winning a Grammy in the award’s inaugural year (1958) for their recording of those works, the HSQ disbanded two years later. Without a major label distribution deal, their primary platform was gone. The timing was poignant, as the collapse of the old studio contract system was ushering in an era of freelance work, which could have offered the quartet members more autonomy. Instead, the pool of regularly employed studio musicians shrank drastically.
Meanwhile, Felix Slatkin’s conducting career gained momentum, particularly with his recordings leading the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra. This expertise proved valuable to Sinatra. When Nelson Riddle was scheduled to tour with Nat King Cole in 1958, rather than postpone the recording of the album Only the Lonely, Sinatra and Riddle agreed that Felix should step in to conduct the sessions Riddle had arranged. Felix’s efficient leadership resulted in seven songs being recorded in a single session, a remarkable achievement compared to Riddle’s initial pace. Though often uncredited, Felix Slatkin effectively conducted Nelson Riddle’s arrangements on several key Sinatra albums.
Conductor Felix Slatkin leading an orchestra while Frank Sinatra listens intently during a Capitol Records recording session
Reprise Records and a Lasting Bond
As the 1950s concluded, Sinatra’s tenure with Capitol Records also neared its end. Following a period of professional dissatisfaction, he made the bold move to establish his own record label, Reprise Records, famously aiming to provide artists with greater freedom and ownership.
Sinatra enlisted new arrangers, embarked on collaborations with diverse musicians like Count Basie, and strategically recruited artists from his former label. Felix Slatkin continued to work with Sinatra, earning credits on some Reprise singles. Frank offered Felix the prestigious role of Musical Director at Reprise, overseeing artists and repertoire. Simultaneously, Liberty Records, led by family friend Sy Waronker, extended a similar offer. Felix ultimately chose Liberty, attracted by greater opportunities for producing, arranging, and conducting, including the chance to form his own orchestra. Sinatra understood and respected the decision, continuing to call upon Felix’s talents whenever possible. Eleanor consistently remained Sinatra’s preferred cellist for his sessions.
In January 1961, Sinatra showcased his considerable influence by organizing a star-studded pre-inaugural gala for President-elect John F. Kennedy at the National Guard Armory in Washington D.C. Gathering luminaries like Laurence Olivier, Harry Belafonte, Gene Kelly, Bette Davis, and Leonard Bernstein, Sinatra celebrated the incoming president, a figure he staunchly supported at the time. He insisted that Felix and Eleanor Slatkin serve as concertmaster and principal cellist for the prestigious event, gifting participants sterling silver cigarette boxes as mementos.
Tragedy struck just two years later. On February 8, 1963, Felix Slatkin died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 47. Leonard was 19. Frank Sinatra was among the first to visit the Slatkin home the next day, offering condolences and support. He delivered a moving eulogy at Felix’s memorial service, attended by over a thousand people, a testament to his deep affection and respect. The family bond, however, endured beyond Felix’s passing.
Shortly after, Sinatra returned to the studio for The Concert Sinatra, widely regarded as one of his finest albums for Reprise. He specifically requested Eleanor Aller as principal cellist. Still grieving, she initially declined, feeling unready to return to music. Frank gently insisted, stating he would postpone the recording unless she participated. Eleanor eventually agreed, later crediting Sinatra’s compassionate persistence as the catalyst that helped her resume her performing career after the profound loss of her husband. It was another quiet act of loyalty, revealing again that this is Frank Sinatra – the unwavering friend.
Conclusion
Leonard Slatkin himself, after pausing his musical studies following his father’s death, eventually pursued conducting, launching his own distinguished career. When he became assistant conductor in St. Louis in 1968, one of the first congratulatory messages he received was a letter from Frank Sinatra, generously offering to perform a concert together someday. Though that specific collaboration never materialized, they maintained contact, sometimes through Eleanor. When Leonard made his London debut in 1974, Sinatra’s ex-wife, actress Ava Gardner—who had befriended Eleanor years prior—attended the concert with her.
Connections extended to the next generation as well; Frank Sinatra Jr., also a singer and conductor, had studied briefly with Felix Slatkin and remained in touch with Leonard for a time. Eleanor Aller passed away in 1996, followed by Frank Sinatra himself in 1998, marking the end of an era.
Yet, the legacy forged by these two remarkable families endures vividly through their recordings. The music captures not only their exceptional artistry but also the essence of their profound and unwavering friendship. It serves as a permanent testament to a unique period in Hollywood history, where personal bonds and unparalleled musicianship intertwined. Leonard Slatkin reflects that growing up immersed in the music of Sinatra and the Hollywood String Quartet shaped him profoundly, defining a time when musical genres were considered equal, provided the artistry met the highest standards. Music brought the Sinatras and the Slatkins together; friendship cemented their legacy.
“If you knew the joy you bring How my hungry heart would sing If only we could be close to you.”
— “Close to You,” lyrics by Al Hoffman
