Spotlight on Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane: Respect for Sinatra, Music and More
written by Karen Morris (also published by The Dean Martin Association today Novemer 21, 2025)
Many thanks to Dream Town Music co-founders, Tom Croxon and Andrew Cottee for sharing about their collaboration with Seth MacFarlane!
Please note: Photos © posted below of Tom and Andrew are courtesy of Dream Town Music ©
In the world of entertainment, Seth MacFarlane is the quintessential Renaissance man.
Writer. Producer. Director. Animator. Actor. Performer. Vocalist. Five-Time Primetime Emmy Award winner. Five-time Grammy-nominated Artist. Peabody Award winner and more!
He is best known as the creator of Family Guy and co-creator of American Dad!, two highly successful, long-running animated television series. Adding the popularity of his TED series and The Orville, his star continues to rise.
But aside from those accolades and his multiple ongoing creative projects, there is his love of music and his utmost respect and admiration for Frank Sinatra.
MacFarlane recently released his latest LP, Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements, an album chock full of previously unrecorded Frank Sinatra orchestral arrangements, all of which he acquired at the suggestion of the Sinatra family estate, and Frank Sinatra's daughter, Tina, the guardian of her father's legacy.
In a YouTube video, The Making of Lush Life, posted by the Frank Sinatra Channel, Seth reveals, 'When we came into the possession of the charts, we didn't really know what was in there. I think it was something like 1200 boxes of charts."
Charles Pignone, president of Sinatra Enterprises, was involved in guiding the process. Mr. Pignone added, "We did not want them to sit in a vault or a basement, we wanted them to live and we wanted people to hear them…I think there are 3,700 or 4,000 arrangements….There are only a few people, Seth is one of them, that's a champion of this music, that does it in a way that it was done before, with the reverence it deserves."
Undoubtedly, we will be hearing more, as it seems Seth will likely consider many other charts that Sinatra never recorded, highlighting the cream of the crop, including top arrangers such as Nelson Riddle, Billy May, and Don Costa.
Beyond that, Seth recently headlined a sensational show in Las Vegas, performing popular standards and swoon-worthy songs from the Lush Life album, accompanied by a grand 29-piece orchestra.
Over the past decade, MacFarlane unveiled a variety of albums spotlighting The Great American Songbook and classic tunes associated with Frank Sinatra. With his smooth delivery, while never imitating Ol' Blue Eyes, he creates his own unique vibe in each interpretation.
Many of his albums were masterfully produced/arranged by the Emmy-winning composer, Joel McNeely, including In Full Swing, No One Ever Tells You, Music Is Better Than Words, Holiday For Swing, and the most recent release, Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements.
An equally versatile and inventive award-winning arranger/conductor, Andrew Cottee, collaborated with Seth on Once In A While, Blue Skies, and We Wish You The Merriest (with Joel McNeely as producer).
Andrew and producer Tom Croxon, co-founders of Dream Town Music, graciously shared insights about their eclectic musical journey, and the marvelous association with Seth MacFarlane.
Tom began by describing the future mission and vision of Dream Town Music and the DTM Orchestra.
Dream Town Music was born out of an inspiring collaboration between Andrew Cottee, Seth MacFarlane, and me. Seth had asked me to recommend an arranger, and without hesitation, I introduced him to Andrew - I knew they would be musical kindred spirits.
The first album Andrew arranged for Seth was Once in a While. That first evening recording session will stay with me forever. All the planning, collaboration, thought, and care that goes into making a recording just clicked and came together in that moment: a once-in-a-generation arranger, a great singer, a virtuoso handpicked orchestra, a stellar recording team, and the perfect studio for the repertoire.
As Andrew began to conduct his fabulous arrangements, with Seth singing live in the studio, accompanied by the Dream Town Orchestra, stardust descended over Abbey Road Studio 2—and I witnessed musical magic.
That experience lit a spark in Andrew and me, and that's how Dream Town Music came to life.
Andrew is a musical wizard—composing, arranging, orchestrating, and conducting—and I'm the one behind the scenes: assembling the Dream Town Orchestra, managing our productions, producing studio recordings, and making sure everything runs seamlessly from storyboard to world-class polished recording.
Our whole approach is rooted in joy, craftsmanship, and genuine collaboration with like-minded people in our creative orbit—whether recording artists, film directors, composers, producers, or studio execs. At the heart of it all is a shared love of music—not just making it, but making it mean something.
There's no greater reward for our work than being part of something that creates an emotional connection and moves people. That's what Dream Town Music is all about: turning ideas into music that lives, breathes, and brings a little magic into people's lives.
Musical magic was key as DTM created a meaningful, synergistic approach while working closely with Seth MacFarlane.
But might there be one project that Andrew considered a favorite or particularly significant when collaborating with Seth?
We Wish You The Merriest is the project that stands out for me so far.
I've always loved the American Songbook repertoire associated with Christmas, not just because it evokes a happy time of year, but also because they're genuinely some of the best songs.
I'd worked with Seth and Liz (Gillies) together quite a lot before this album, but this was the first project of entirely new arrangements. It was lovely collaborating with them both and hearing how well they perform together.
After the last session, a viola player thanked me for one of the most enjoyable patches of studio work he'd done! And I know a lot of other people on the project felt the same.
The Merriest is indeed a joyous album!
But what facet of Andrew's arranging and conducting brings him the most joy or satisfaction?
The most enjoyable part of any recording project is definitely the sessions, they're the reward after all the hard work. We had a first-class orchestra for this album and it was a pleasure to work with them. Having all those great musical minds together in the studio means they often bring wonderful things to the arrangements that I didn't know were there.
Especially endearing to Andrew was a sentimental holiday song, and part of the Merriest recording session.
The Christmas Song has always appealed to me because of the adventurous harmony, that together with the images conjured up by the lyrics, make it an arranger's dream.
The unique emergence of AI and its relationship to the music industry came to mind. Could it be used as a positive force? Tom shared his perceptions.
I can't give you a binary answer—it's nuanced. I put your question into a generative artificial intelligence chatbot, and the summary it gave me was:
"Both. Technology and AI are tools. They can empower or exploit depending on how they're used and who controls them. The key is ethical innovation and fair policies that balanve access, creativity, and compensation."
AI has become omnipresent. For tech companies and governments, it appears to be the great hope for humanity. For artists, however, AI raises questions—many of them unsettling. Any artistic endeavour requires talent, time, concentration, discipline, and determination. I respond to authenticity and to work created by artists with human hearts. My most rewarding collaborations are with freethinkers who take risks in pursuit of creating original work that stimulates emotional response and fosters human connection.
Arts education & funding face challenging times. We ignore, at our peril, the value and benefit to society of encouraging young people to be curious, to learn how to think independently, and to be empowered by access to—and education in—the arts, whether as the next generation of great artists or as the discerning audiences and consumers of the future. AI's rise offers potential but threatens artistic authenticity, making it vital to protect and invest in human creativity through arts education and ethical innovation.
AI's rise remains a challenge for many of us, not only in the entertainment industry. May it be a force for good and assist overall in a welcoming and harmonious manner.
Meanwhile, the music industry's beat goes on.
Tom assures that Dream Town Music will continue their fine work as the year progresses, "producing the music for a forthcoming film musical and collaborations with our colleagues at Disney on new theme park attractions & shows."
Fans of the multi-talented Seth MacFarlane can catch his upcoming concert performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on February 17, 2026, with the backing of a full, dynamic, swingin' orchestra.