5 Facts About Frank Sinatra’s “It Might as Well Be Swing” With Quincy Jones

This album marked Sinatra’s first studio collaboration with Quincy Jones as arranger and conductor. Jones’s big-band arrangements gave the sessions a fresh, swinging energy.

The recording sessions took place in April 1964 at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. Sinatra was in top vocal form, and the band included top session musicians.

The album features classic standards like “Fly Me to the Moon” and “The Good Life.” Sinatra’s phrasing and Jones’s charts turned these songs into definitive versions.

Jones’s influence pushed Sinatra to a more modern, rhythm-driven sound. The result was a tighter, more dynamic album than some of Sinatra’s earlier work.

The album was a commercial and critical success, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard chart. It remains a high point in both artists’ careers.