Chairman of the Board

It is 20 years since Sinatra toured with a band. Then, the band was Tommy Dorsey's, and the style was smooth and sweet; squealing teen-agers swooned in the aisles. Since then, there has been hot jazz, cool jazz, and most lately, rock 'n' roll. Frankie felt kind of out of it all. He even turned to character acting.

So last week Frankie went back to the hustings. His first target was the jazz fans (rock 'n' rollers are clearly beyond his or anyone else's ken), and his schedule includes appearances at Forest Hills, Chicago, Baltimore and Detroit. His choice for first drop was that citadel of jazz purists, the Newport Jazz Festival. The assault was conducted in the new manner to which Sinatra has become accustomed.

7:51 p.m.: The baby-blue helicopter chopped through the warm, clear sky. Beards wagged and stretch pants stretched. Is it or isn't it? It was. Without a smile or a wave, Frank briskly walked 75 ft. into a special trailer.

8:30: The Oscar Peterson Trio played superbly for 30 minutes, but the audience watched the trailer.

9:05: The Count Basic Band played superbly for 30 minutes, but the audience watched the trailer.

9:35: "Here he is," said Basic, "the chairman of the board." The audience moaned. Out stepped Frank, lyric book in hand, looking a little bald. "Jump," said Frank, shoulders hunched, left hand flicking rhythm, right hand flicking mike. Saved by the lyric book when he forgot words, Frank sang a set of old favorites such as Get Me to the Church on Time, Street of Dreams and I've Got You Under My Skin. He spoke only once to Basic, "Cook, cook, cook, cook, baby, cook."

10:02: Frank drank a cup of tea on stage: "It's not what you think it is. It's tea." He made a joke about Basic's Negro band: "I'd publicly like to thank the N.A.A.C.P. for this chess set they gave me."

Everybody laughed.

10:33: Frank waved a last goodbye, stepped back into the chopper and disappeared. He could afford to. He had made it. He had captured 14,000 skeptical jazz fans and made them Sinatra fans. "It makes you believe in God," said a guy in the audience.

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