Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle Fondly Remembered At Swingin' Event

The swingin' sold out event, Sinatra & Dessert, held on Sunday afternoon May 7th, 2023, at the Avon Marina Building in Avon-By-The-Sea, New Jersey, honored musical icons Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle, with a few added surprises.

The event, a two hour program, presented by producer Karen Morris of Sand Castle Communications, honored the artistry of Frank Sinatra with live entertainment, fascinating chats by guest speakers and a variety of tasty desserts for attendees to enjoy.

The show opened with Sinatra Scholars, Charles "Chuck" Granata and Dana Polan, discussing the music and career of Frank Sinatra, as well as spotlighting world-renowned arranger Nelson Riddle. Christopher Riddle, son of Nelson Riddle and music director of The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, attended the event as a special guest of Ms. Morris. Mr. Riddle charmed the crowd, answering questions about his dad and his music, as well as sharing personal stories.

Following that discussion, Mr. Granata joined guest speaker Brian Mark, son of the late legendary broadcaster, Sid Mark, for a cherished remembrance of his dad, as well as chatting about his long-running program, The Sounds of Sinatra with Sid Mark. Mr. Mark also engaged the audience with trivia questions and generously gave out prizes to a few lucky attendees.

But for a few minutes the show also focused on sweet birthday moments.

Chuck Granata announced that Christopher Riddle had a birthday upcoming, and Karen Morris generously served up a celebratory dessert for Mr. Riddle to enjoy. The song Pocketful of Miracles sung by Frank Sinatra, and arranged by Nelson Riddle, added to the poignant celebration.

Continuing the birthday salute, Karen Morris learned that event attendee and loyal Sinatra fan, Norma Orefice, had recently turned 94 years young. As Brian Mark announced to the audience about the joyous occasion, Ms. Morris then surprised Norma with a birthday cake and personal gift to celebrate, while thanking her and her son Andrew, family and friends for attending. Vocalist Zack Alexander sang the ever popular Sinatra song, Young at Heart, capturing the heartwarming moment.

The event topped off with a medley of songs made popular by Frank Sinatra and arranged by Nelson Riddle, all performed by Jazz vocalist and sensational crooner, Zack Alexander.
Guest Speaker Charles L. "Chuck" Granata is a leading expert on Frank Sinatra, a writer, record producer, music historian and archivist. Mr. Granata is the author of 4 books, including the award-winning book Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording, as well as producer of Nancy Sinatra's program "Nancy for Frank" on Sirius-XM radio.

Guest Speaker Dana Polan is a Professor in the Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies at New York University. He has taught about Frank Sinatra at NYU and has lectured about him at Ohio State University and Notre Dame. He is the author of 10 books in film and media, including Dreams of Flight: The Great Escape in American Film and Culture, Julia Child's The French Chef, among others.

Guest Speaker Brian Mark, shared cherished memories about his father, broadcast legend Sid Mark (who sadly passed away on April 18, 2022) and his iconic radio program, The Sounds of Sinatra with Sid Mark. As Executive Producer of Orange Productions' nationallysyndicated radio program The Sounds of Sinatra with Sid Mark, Brian Mark spent over 30 years producing the marvelousprogram alongside his father, Sid Mark.

Karen Morris, presenter of the event, is an independent producer and founder of Sand Castle Communications LLC and The Rat Pack Music Alliance. For over 20 years Ms. Morris produced corporate award programs, and product promotion programs for Fortune 500 companies, as well as having a variety of broadcast and film credits. Since 2018 she has been producing inspired events to honor the memory and music of Frank Sinatra.

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