Getting to Know Sinatra & Company

On June 10 at 7:00 p.m., Sinatra & Company will take over the Ives Auditorium. Recently we had a chance to interview the three singing members of Sinatra & Company: Colleen Raye, Debbie O’Keefe and Tim Patrick. As often happens in music, the three are related on several levels, and equally drawn to great songs from decades passed.

Connections

Colleen, a Wisconsin native and the production force behind Sinatra & Company, has been singing, writing shows and performing since she was 15! That’s when she started touring with her brother’s band. Debbie O’Keefe got her start at age 13, traveling along with sister Colleen.

Since growing up, both Colleen and Debbie have sung with many different groups. Debbie currently performs with the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra (MJO) and also appears in several of Colleen Raye’s other productions. When Todd Matheson, Debbie’s MJO colleague, invited her to sit in with his other band, The Blue Eyes Band, she met Tim Patrick.

Tim, a Twin Cities native who started performing somewhat later in life, has been recognized as an impressive jazz vocalist by legends in the business. He’s even mentioned in Scott Yanow’s 2008 publication The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide.

After Debbie won the role of female vocalist with Tim Patrick and the Blue Eyes Band, Colleen stopped by to hear the group. That’s when she got the idea for a Rat Pack themed show. It was only natural to create the show using Tim, his Blue Eyes Band, and Debbie, with Todd Matheson as the musical director.

About the Rat Pack Era

For the purposes of this show, the Rat Pack Era refers to a close group of actors and musician/actors in the 1960s led by Frank Sinatra. The most prominent rat pack members included Frank, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. They frequently attended each other’s shows, starred in movies together and, in 1960, were united in stumping for Democrat John F. Kennedy, whose sister was then married to Peter Lawford.

Music from that time frame includes Frank Sinatra standards: “From This Moment On,” “The Best Is Yet to Come,” “Luck Be a Lady,” “My Way,” “New York, New York” and many others. Dean Martin popularized the song “You’re Nobody ‘til Somebody Loves You” and Sammy Davis Jr. was well-known for “Mr. Bojangles.”

The music from this era, Tim observes, “is truly timeless!” Colleen adds, “I like to tell a story when I sing, and the wonderful melodies and lyrics of the era make it so easy!!”

Sinatra & Company

Though it would be easy to do a complete show with songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Sinatra & Company includes songs for the women too. For example, the set list includes “A Tisket a Tasket” (popularized by Ella Fitzgerald), Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” and Judy Garland’s “Trolley Song” and “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

And, while it would be fine to have just three talented singers, the show includes Tim Patrick’s 10-member Blue Eyes Band to provide a more authentic experience. In the band, there are two trumpets, three saxophones, two trombones, a piano, bass, and drums. “Every member of the band,” Tim explains, “has played in a number of other bands, but never as long as they’ve played in this band: 11 years!”

Colleen and Debbie are grateful that they can still do what they love and bring joy to their audiences. Similarly, Tim says, “I love watching the faces of people as they experience the music I’m singing. I can see that it brings joy to their lives and reminds them of days long past.”

Take a trip back in time with Sinatra & Company on June 10. The show starts at 7:00 p.m.  Click here for tickets.