Harry James And His Orchestra Featuring Frank Sinatra – The Complete Recordings Nineteen Thirty-Nine

Columbia Legacy has rescued these tracks originally released on the Brunswick label from destruction, and has preserved a marvellous beginning: the pre-eminent singer of the 20th Century: Frank Sinatra. Above the the bright brassy cushion of Harry James' Orchestra, Sinatra's voice projected a warm, woody sound which complemented James's strong backing. The songs themselves are the picture of romanticism: the mystical underpinnings of the orient in "On A Little Street In Singapore," the wistful sigh found in "Melancholy Mood," or the heart-on-your-sleeve sentiment of "Who Told You I Cared?" are all here, and Sinatra fills each moment with a remarkably realized realism, acting each song as though he truly feels each moment. Granted, some listeners don't prefer this version of who would later become "The Chairman Of The Board," and it's true that on the uptempo numbers, such as "Ciribiribin (They're So In Love)" that he has none of the punch or swagger so typical of his later years; here, he makes every song a romance, and clearly some songs are not suited to the swooning approach that he brings to each number. And there are moments when Frank really takes it over the top, like the strained, almost hystrionic ending of "All Or Nothing At All" [tr.14], but for sheer interest, you really can't beat the historical interest and strength of Sinatra's performance here. The sound is very good, with very little distortion or hiss, and although the disc claims the recordings are complete, there are a few extant radio transcriptions missing, but that won't bother anyone but completists. Recommended for those who want to see how "The Voice" began. - SinatraGuide.com

UPC 0 7464-66377-2 2