Sinatra question

Try 'Live in Paris', whatever disc that has 'From the Wee Small Hours' on it, 'Duets', and maybe "live at the Sands'. I heard 'Live From Paris' and the song, "From the Wee Small Hours" on the radio a few days ago and finally became a fan of his. It was incredible. As for the other two, it was a recommnedation from the DJ so I can't vouch for the quality of the recording.

Sinatra didn't just "do sessions" with Tommy Dorsey from 1940-42: he was the band's regular vocalist, meaning he recorded with them, performed on radio with them, and toured with them. In 1942, he did his first "solo" recordings--four titles--while still with Dorsey. These recordings--including his first of "Night and Day"--are among the most beautiful he ever made.

Later that year, he left Dorsey to go solo, and signed with Columbia, where he recorded from 1943 until 1952. The best of these are from 1943-46. You could go with the four-disc set, which is an excellent selection up through '52, or go bonkers and buy the 12-disc box of all his Columbia recordings. Both have identical sound quality.

Of course as with most "complete" sets, you have to take the bad with the good. From, say, 1949-52, Sinatra was in generally poor voice. This was during the period where he lost his voice in a performance at the Copa and had to take several months off.

Although he later bounced back and made some very fine recordings for Capitol, to my ears his voice had lost that sweet, youthful quality for good. He was never quite the same again.

Sessions,recordings or whatever these three double albums were everything that they recorded together for RCA. Everything you are saying about Dorsey/Sinatra is in the liner notes and it was just released on Cd. Frank replaced Jack Leonard at 100.00 a week and he was not acknowledged as the lead vocalist but just as "with vocal refrain." The "sessions" were recorded in New York, Chicago and Hollywood and number 35 in all. By the end of the three year gig Frank had earned his own by line on recordings and promotional advertising.

Sinatra's voice was beautiful in the late 30's and 40's, but he didn't yet have the phrasing and impeccable interpretation of lyrics that matured in his Capitol years.

In his youth he was a great band singer and crooner.

In his 40's he became the greatest popular singer of all time.

In his Reprise years, except for a few wonderful albums his voice started to lose that magic.