“A friend is never an imposition.” —Frank Sinatra echoed these words, and for the Slatkin family, they rang true. The setting was Hollywood in the early 1950s, a world pulsating with the energy of recording studios and shifting musical landscapes. Frank Sinatra, a figure both revered and sometimes feared, stood at its center. If you earned his loyalty, there was no better friend; cross him, and you faced a formidable adversary. Fortunately for the family of conductor Leonard Slatkin, whose memories form the heart of this account, their bond with Sinatra remained steadfastly positive. This relationship offers a unique window into the man behind the voice, revealing sides of Frank Sinatra often hidden from the public eye during a pivotal era in American music.
Leonard Slatkin, born in 1944, and his brother Fred, born in 1947, grew up knowing Sinatra simply as “Uncle Frank.” Their parents, Felix Slatkin and Eleanor Aller, were already established figures in the Hollywood music scene. Felix served as the concertmaster for the Twentieth Century Fox orchestra, while Eleanor was the principal cellist at Warner Brothers – a trailblazer as the first woman to hold a principal chair in any major studio orchestra. This connection placed them directly in Sinatra’s orbit as he navigated a critical transition in his career.
Sinatra’s Classical Curiosity and the Move to Capitol
Contrary to popular belief, Frank Sinatra possessed a deep curiosity about classical music. His interest wasn’t merely casual; while still with Columbia Records in New York, he conducted an album featuring compositions by Alec Wilder. This act alone challenges the notion that he couldn’t read music. While perhaps not adept at sight-reading complex full scores, Sinatra certainly understood musical notation fundamentals.
His permanent move to Hollywood coincided with a significant career shift. After a contentious departure from Columbia Records in 1952, Sinatra signed a six-year deal with Capitol Records. The label attracted him with its impressive roster, including Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, and George Shearing, and crucially, the promise of greater artistic control. This move marked the beginning of a transformation. Sinatra sought to evolve beyond the image associated with bow ties and legions of bobbysoxers. He aimed to retain his loyal fanbase while cultivating a new audience focused more on sophisticated listening than dancing.
Capitol provided the ideal environment for this evolution, offering access to top-tier producers, engineers, arrangers, and musicians. This period also saw the burgeoning influence of West Coast jazz seeping into 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.”
The Hollywood String Quartet: A Unique Collaboration
The transition from big band crooner to a vocalist infused with jazz sensibilities wasn’t seamless. Initially, Sinatra preferred to continue working with his long-time arranger, Axel Stordahl. Early singles under this partnership at Capitol didn’t achieve the desired impact. This opened the door for a young, talented arranger named Nelson Riddle. The pairing proved legendary.
Felix and Eleanor Slatkin were present during this pivotal moment. Sinatra valued their musical judgment, and they were among the first to encourage him toward Riddle’s fresh approach. Their insight stemmed from their own deep involvement in both the classical and studio worlds.
In 1947, the Slatkins, along with violinist Paul Shure and violist Paul Robyn, had signed with Capitol Records as the Hollywood String Quartet. They deliberately chose the name “Hollywood” to reflect their status as leading musicians on the film soundstages, despite criticism suggesting names like “Los Angeles String Quartet” were more appropriate for a classical ensemble. Felix Slatkin firmly believed the motion picture music world deserved recognition on par with the traditional “serious” art community.
Due to the demands of studio work, the Quartet rarely toured, relying heavily on their recordings. They performed regularly in San Francisco and various Los Angeles venues, including Sunday concerts at the art museum, though few recordings of these live performances survive. By 1952, the Hollywood String Quartet had gained international acclaim, lauded for their interpretations of both standard and lesser-known repertoire. It was only natural that Sinatra would enlist their exceptional talent for nearly all his Capitol recording projects.
Personal Memories: Uncle Frank at Home and On the Road
Even before the official Capitol sessions began, Sinatra would visit the Slatkin home to hear the Quartet rehearse. Leonard Slatkin recalls these moments vividly. During breaks, “Uncle Frank” would take young Leonard and his brother Fred upstairs, tuck them into bed, and sing them lullabies. Hearing “The Voice” deliver personal bedtime songs remains one of Slatkin’s most treasured childhood memories.
Sinatra’s Capitol sessions became legendary gatherings of Hollywood’s finest musicians. Alongside the Slatkins, talents like flutist Arthur Gleghorn, clarinetist Mitchell Lurie, French hornist Vince DeRosa, and trumpeters Shorty Rogers and Manny Klein contributed to these iconic recordings. Pianist Bill Miller, who collaborated with Sinatra for over five decades, was also a key figure and a frequent visitor to the Slatkin home when Nelson Riddle and Felix Slatkin were working on arrangements.
Sinatra’s first Capitol albums, Songs for Young Lovers and its successor Swing Easy, featured smaller orchestral arrangements where each member of the Hollywood String Quartet shone, complemented by saxophones and other wind instruments. As this professional relationship blossomed, so did the personal one. The Slatkin family began visiting Sinatra at his home and even accompanied him on the road.
His house off Coldwater Canyon Road was a hub for entertainment figures. Young Leonard met luminaries like Danny Kaye, Robert Mitchum, and Lauren Bacall, though at the time, they were simply “folks who happened to be around.” Eleanor Slatkin recounted an anecdote highlighting Sinatra’s generosity: admiring a clown painting Sinatra himself had created during dinner one evening, she found it placed in her car as they were leaving – a gift from the host.
Trips to Palm Springs and Las Vegas in the mid-Fifties added to the family’s collection of Sinatra memories. In Palm Springs, a curious young Leonard discovered risqué photos of Marilyn Monroe and even a deck of cards featuring her image. Another Palm Springs memory involved falling asleep by the pool and waking up severely sunburned, prompting Frank to call a doctor for immediate treatment. In Las Vegas, the family stayed at the Desert Inn, one of the earliest resorts on the Strip, where Sinatra had debuted in 1951. Though kids weren’t allowed to gamble, Uncle Frank let Leonard and Fred play the slot machines anyway. They spent days by the pool while their parents socialized late into the night, occasionally hearing loudspeaker announcements summoning them to “Mr. Sinatra’s Suite.”
Recording at Capitol: From KHJ to the Iconic Tower
Initially, Sinatra’s Capitol recordings took place at the KHJ radio station studios on Melrose Avenue. Frank and the Slatkins were consulted on the space’s acoustics, which proved excellent for diverse musical styles, contributing to the superior sound quality of his early Fifties recordings. Nearby establishments like Nicodell’s bar and Lucey’s restaurant served as 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 a take, often accompanied by his principal musicians, before returning to the studio to give precise instructions. One famous incident involved Eleanor Slatkin’s characteristic bluntness. When asked her opinion of a first take, she declared in front of everyone, “It sounded like shit!”
As Capitol Records expanded globally, the Melrose Avenue offices became inadequate. Plans commenced in 1954 for a new headquarters: the landmark Capitol Tower at Hollywood and Vine. Designed to house offices and three state-of-the-art recording studios, the building quickly became synonymous with Sinatra, who was by then Capitol’s biggest star.
The first album recorded in the new Tower, however, featured Sinatra and the Slatkins in an unexpected capacity. Tone Poems of Color was an orchestral project where Sinatra conducted works by various composers inspired by colors of the rainbow. Coached extensively by Felix Slatkin (accustomed to leading from the concertmaster chair), Frank took the podium. Despite the intriguing concept, the album didn’t resonate with Sinatra’s core audience and sales were poor, though some pieces possess lasting merit.
The Capitol Tower’s distinctive round design spurred humorous speculation. Felix Slatkin jokingly convinced his young son Leonard that the shape mimicked a record changer spindle and that the floors magically shifted position hourly. Leonard recalls waiting futilely on the corner for this architectural marvel to occur, only to be met with his father’s playful excuses. While architecturally significant, the Tower’s initial recording acoustics were problematic – dry sound, poor balance. Engineers rectified this by installing concrete echo chambers 30 feet underground, adding vibrancy and reverberation still utilized today. Studio B, in particular, became Sinatra’s preferred recording space.
Close to You: A Cult Classic and Shifting Tides
The first vocal album Sinatra recorded in the new Capitol studios became one of his most acclaimed and debated works: Close to You. Born directly from the friendship between Sinatra and the Slatkins, the album followed the introspective success of In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning. Frank tasked Nelson Riddle with creating arrangements specifically featuring the Hollywood String Quartet.
Intensive planning sessions involving Sinatra, Felix Slatkin, and Riddle took place at the Slatkin residence. While Sinatra initially envisioned only the quartet accompanying him, Felix persuaded him to incorporate occasional woodwinds and harp for greater textural variety across the twelve tracks. The meticulous crafting resulted in a critically lauded album. However, released during a period when Sinatra’s upbeat recordings dominated the charts, Close to You saw comparatively low sales.
Time has vindicated the album. Now regarded by many critics and fans as a masterpiece showcasing Sinatra and Riddle at their peak, Close to You enjoys cult status. Subsequent CD releases included three previously unissued tracks from the sessions, one being the playfully risqué “There’s a Flaw in my Flue,” a satirical nod to recording industry bureaucracy.
What defined Sinatra’s unique vocal artistry? Leonard Slatkin pinpoints three key elements: flawless intonation, profound attention to lyrical meaning, and an almost magical sense of phrasing. Especially in ballads, Sinatra seemed to transcend rigid bar lines, placing notes slightly before or after their notated position, creating a feeling that time itself paused.
Felix Slatkin conducting the orchestra during a Frank Sinatra recording session at Capitol Records
End of an Era: Changes in Music and Friendship
By 1957, the musical landscape was shifting again. Stereo technology emerged, altering listening habits. The British company EMI acquired Capitol’s classical division. The shadow of the McCarthy hearings impacted the studio system. Frank himself began collaborating with different arrangers. Despite these currents of change, the bond between the Sinatra and Slatkin families endured.
However, the Hollywood String Quartet faced challenges. EMI, now owning the Capitol classical catalogue, already had the acclaimed London-based Amadeus Quartet on its roster. From a business perspective, supporting two major string quartets seemed redundant. EMI chose to retain the Amadeus Quartet, effectively ending the Hollywood String Quartet’s primary recording outlet.
Despite a recent triumphant European debut at the Edinburgh Festival performing Beethoven’s late quartets, the lack of a recording contract forced the Hollywood String Quartet to disband two years later. This occurred just as the old Hollywood studio system was collapsing due to the fallout from the Red Scare. The transition to a freelance market could have offered the Quartet members more autonomy, but the pool of available work shrank significantly.
Simultaneously, Felix Slatkin’s conducting career was flourishing, particularly through his recordings with the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra. This expertise proved valuable to Sinatra. When Nelson Riddle was touring with Nat King Cole in 1958, rather than delay the recording of the album Only the Lonely, Sinatra and Riddle agreed Felix Slatkin should conduct the sessions. Riddle had struggled slightly in the initial session, producing only one usable track, whereas Felix efficiently led the orchestra to record seven songs in a single long session. Though often uncredited, Felix Slatkin became the de facto conductor for Nelson Riddle’s arrangements on several subsequent Sinatra albums.
Reprise Records, JFK, and Lasting Bonds
As the 1950s concluded, Sinatra’s relationship with Capitol Records also neared its end. Feeling constrained, he made the bold move to establish his own label, Reprise Records, in 1960. This new venture saw him collaborating with different arrangers and musicians, including Count Basie, and actively recruiting artists, sometimes directly from Capitol’s roster. Felix Slatkin contributed to some early Reprise singles, receiving proper credit this time.
Sinatra offered Felix the position of musical director at Reprise, a role involving control over artists and repertoire. It seemed a natural progression for their long-standing relationship. However, Sy Waronker, head of Liberty Records and another family friend, made 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 the decision, and their professional connection continued whenever Felix was available. Eleanor always remained a constant presence in Sinatra’s sessions.
In January 1961, Sinatra orchestrated a star-studded pre-inaugural gala for President John F. Kennedy at the National Guard Armory in Washington D.C. Featuring icons like Laurence Olivier, Harry Belafonte, Gene Kelly, Bette Davis, and Leonard Bernstein, the event celebrated the new administration. Sinatra, a key JFK supporter at the time, insisted Felix and Eleanor Slatkin serve as concertmaster and principal cellist for the gala orchestra. Each participant received a sterling silver cigarette box as a memento.
Tragedy struck just two years later. On February 8, 1963, Felix Slatkin died suddenly from a heart attack at age 47. Leonard was 19. Frank Sinatra was among the very first to visit the family home the next day to offer condolences and later delivered a moving eulogy at the memorial service attended by over a thousand people.
The family connection, however, did not end with Felix’s passing. Shortly after, Sinatra returned to the studio to record The Concert Sinatra, widely considered one of his best albums for Reprise. He specifically requested Eleanor Aller Slatkin as principal cellist. Initially hesitant, feeling unready to return to music after her husband’s death, Eleanor eventually agreed after Frank insisted he would cancel the recording otherwise. She later credited Sinatra’s gentle insistence as the catalyst for her return to performing.
Legacy and Reflections
Leonard Slatkin, deeply affected by his father’s death, temporarily stepped away from his own music studies. By 1964, however, he resumed his path toward a conducting career, studying in Aspen and at Juilliard. Upon becoming assistant conductor of the St. Louis Symphony in 1968, one of the first congratulatory messages he received was a letter from Frank Sinatra, suggesting a future concert collaboration.
Though that specific concert never materialized, they maintained contact, sometimes through Eleanor. When Leonard made his London debut in 1974, Sinatra’s ex-wife, actress Ava Gardner, attended the concert with Eleanor. The two women had formed a friendship years earlier. Leonard recalls pleasant hours spent with the elegant Gardner, a reminder of a bygone Hollywood era. He also maintained contact for a time with Frank Sinatra Jr., also a singer and conductor, who had studied briefly with Felix.
Eleanor Slatkin passed away in 1996, followed by Frank Sinatra in 1998. Yet, the intertwined legacy of these two families persists through their remarkable recordings. Their enduring friendship and exceptional musicianship remain accessible for all to experience. Growing up immersed in the music of Frank Sinatra and the Hollywood String Quartet profoundly shaped Leonard Slatkin. It was an era, he reflects, where musical genres were judged by artistry, not category. Music initially brought the Sinatras and the Slatkins together; friendship cemented that bond for a lifetime.
“If you knew the joy you bring How my hungry heart would sing If only we could be close to you.”
— From “Close to You,” lyrics by Al Hoffman
