We had seats right behind the orchestra & said hello to Al Viola on his way to his seat in front of us. This was the Main Event concert in Philly a few days before New York Main Event,with the musical repertoire similar to the nationally broadcast concert @ the Garden. I do remember the N.Y.songs more because I've heard them many times more than one time @ the Phila. Spectrum.Yes, it was Woody Herman's Thundering Herd accompanying a lot of different, newer arrangements to Lady is A Tramp, My Kind of Town, some of Billy May's charts were replaced with Nelson Riddle charts, if you're a Sinatra fan you can tell the difference between Riddle & May. Frank did a apropos Autumn in New York keeping May's chart, & The House I Live In with lyric "and a dream that's been a growin' for about 200 years." If he sang it today, it would be for about 230 years.My Way was done that night with nice guitar accompaniment of Mr. Viola.Frank was a foreshadowing of Springsteen in that he worked awfully hard in live concerts along with having great talent.I've seen both of these New Jerseyites & I would still love seeing Frank live after having seen him several times in concert.
tad19082