March 28, 2024

Mary Talks: ‘Frank Sinatra and the Development of the Concept Album’

Join us on campus for our next Mary Talk of the 2019-20 academic year.

James Brooks Kuykendall, professor and chair of the music department at UMW, will present “Frank Sinatra and the Development of the Concept Album.”

Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) was one of the greatest American performing artists—leaving a legacy both as a singer and as an Oscar-winning film star. Less appreciated, perhaps, was his pioneering artistic vision. At the advent of the long-playing record, Sinatra recognized its potential not merely as a medium for a series of songs all on one disc, but for a sustained artistic statement. In his 1950s series of Capitol Records albums (including In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning, Songs for Swingin’ Lovers, Close to You, Come Fly with Me, and Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely), Sinatra explored how to create musical coherence in large-scale structures. In so doing, he shaped the work of successive musicians across all genres.

Wednesday, November 13
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Digital Auditorium,
Hurley Convergence Center
On Campus

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The lecture will end at approximately 8 p.m., allowing time for a Q&A session with Professor Kuykendall. Please join us for light refreshments at the conclusion of the program. This event is free, but registration is requested so we will know to expect you. If you haven’t already, register today!

You can attend this Talk either in person or online! To attend on campus, click “Register to Attend in Person” below. If you instead would like to view the Talk online (either live or at a later time), click “Register to View Online,” and you will receive a link to view the online video.

We look forward to seeing you either on campus or online!

Register to attend in person. 

Register to view online.