Nice 'n' Easy (1960 Remaster)

Lore & Background

By 1960, Sinatra had already cemented his reputation as the definitive interpreter of the American popular song. Yet Nice 'n' Easy reveals a side of the artist that fans still find endearing: the Sinatra who could lean into a line with a half-smile, who treated a bop or a swing phrase as a joke told to a friend across a bar. The album's overall aesthetic is one of relaxed confidence—there is no striving, no desperate reach for the high note. Instead, the performances feel like a man who has nothing to prove and is simply having a good time. George Avakian's production choices reinforced this mood. The arrangements lean toward lightness: brushed drums, bright brass stabs, a vocal delivery that floats just above the instrumentation rather than bulldozing through it. The result is a record that sounds less like a performance and more like a private gathering—Sinatra, a small band, and a shared sense that the evening is going to be fun. In fan circles, Nice 'n' Easy is often described as the album to play when you want Sinatra to be your friend rather than your idol. It is the record that reminds listeners the 'voice' was attached to a man who could be goofy, warm, and a little bit showy all at once.

In Their Own Story

The studio lights hummed their low amber glow over the glass partition. Sinatra stood at the mic in a rumpled tuxedo, the bow tie already loosened, a half-drunk glass of something amber sitting on the music stand. He tapped the mic with one finger, grinned at the band, and said something that made the arrancer snort into his charts. The drummer gave a single, soft brush. Sinatra let the silence stretch—just long enough to make the room lean in—then let the first line spill out like a lazy Sunday morning, unhurried, unhurried, easy. The engineer's pencil stopped moving. He'd been cutting records for years, but even he forgot to note the take number. Outside, the Los Angeles evening settled in, and inside, for one more chorus, the whole world was just a guy, a song, and a smile that said, *come on, it's fun, isn't it?*

Reader's Guide

1960 · Capitol Records · Produced by George Avakian. Nice 'n' Easy arrived in a stretch of Sinatra's career where he was actively loosening his grip on the 'serious artist' label. The album is a deliberate exercise in lightness: the vocal delivery is relaxed, the arrangements favor bounce over weight, and the overall effect is of Sinatra inviting the listener into a private, good-humored evening. It is not his most ambitious record, and that is precisely its appeal. Standout moments include the title track, which sets the playful tone for the entire set, and interpretations of well-known popular songs that Sinatra treats with a wink rather than a bow. The album does not carry a major Grammy or chart milestone that defines Sinatra's legacy in the way some of his other records do, and its value lies more in mood and personality than in technical showcase. Fan takeaway: Put on Nice 'n' Easy on a Friday night, pour something you like, and let Sinatra be the friend who tells you the best joke at the table. It is the Sinatra who makes you feel like the evening is yours.

Did You Know?

• The album's overall aesthetic was a conscious departure from the heavier, more dramatic productions Sinatra had recorded in the late 1950s, signaling his willingness to be playful and self-aware on the microphone.
• George Avakian, the album's producer, was a key figure at Capitol during this period and helped shape the relaxed, conversational sound that defines the record.
• Fans often contrast Nice 'n' Easy with Sinatra's more concept-driven albums from the same era, noting that its charm comes from a sense of spontaneity and ease rather than rigid thematic structure.
• The 'remaster' edition was part of a broader effort to bring Capitol's Sinatra catalog to modern audio standards, preserving the original session feel while updating clarity and dynamic range.