Francis A. & Edward K. was released by
Reprise Records. He wrote, "Enormous recorded acoustic, an illuminated, palpable, and confident Sinatra, restrained yet exuberant Billy May arrangements --- truly a record to die for. Find it --- it's out there. I promise you a little bit of analog heaven". He observed that the record grows on you with repeated listening. He wrote, "To put it bluntly, this would have been a great album if Sinatra had been in top voice. On a few tracks, he is; at other times, one can sense that he is holding back . . . Relaxed tempi predominate to the point that the final selection, a way-up romp, comes as a positive relief. Why was it saved for that particular spot?" Morgenstern singled out contributions by Cootie Williams, Paul Gonsalves, and Johnny Hodges. He highly praised track 4 writing, "
Indian Summer is the album's masterpiece, and one of Sinatra's most impressive efforts in recent years. The mood is bittersweet, the reeds add lovely touches, Ellington makes the most of his keyboard presence, and Hodges' touching solo is a perfect extension of the mood set by the singer. This one makes the whole venture worth the effort". ==Track listing==