Dean Martin-- Country Style

A few weeks ago We Heart Music posted Dean Martin’s intoxicating Sway.  I have a weakness for authentic crooners and I wasn’t surprised that I liked it.  I was surprised HOW MUCH I liked it.

It started me musing about Dean Martin.  I am old enough to remember the Dean Martin Show (1964-1974).  As a kid I didn’t understand a lot of it—Italian expressions and sexual innuendo-- but I could tell that he oozed cool.   That was back in the day when you could smoke and drink on the air, so he always had the appearance of absolute relaxation.  The show was scripted but he preferred to film the show without rehearsals to maintain a fresh, improvisational style.  Dean worked hard to make it look like he was phoning it in.  I am pretty sure that Dean Martin in part formed my idea of what a quick-witted, happy-go-lucky, fun-at-parties person should be like.

Perhaps my favorite of his songs are his versions of country and western classics.  I grew up surrounded by country music and have since learned to truly appreciate old skool C&W.   Dean added rat-pack suave to he-manly country songs.  No whining here.  In 1966 he was awarded "Man Of the Year" by the Country Music Association.  Furthermore, for an Italian boy from Steubenville, Ohio Dean acted quite convincingly in western films like Rio Bravo, Five Card Stud, and The Sons of Katie Elder.