[Dougjr]

Easily the nicest listening experience I've had in a long, long time.

This is a great set especially for "beginners" in terms of first discovering the Sinatra-Dorsey period. Of course there still is the RCA 5-CD-Box (where all tracks as heard here were already issued on CD in 1994), but this new double-set is the one to recommend to people who are just about to start to listen to early Sinatra, hence might shy away from the RCA box.

Just had a lovely feedback these days from a young fellow German FS society member, who upon reading my review (that gave it a 5-star-rating) of this release in our magazine decided to give it a try with early FS, and loved the set. So the great remastering & reissue work done by Chuck and his team here indeed seems to fall upon fruitful grounds.

As frequently mentioned, let's hope the other labels will follow this example soon. Or better, get the Columbia/Legacy team to do the work.

Bernhard.

[Marty]

These remasters really are a sublime experience in themselves, just with a cursory listen to Disc 1 with my uneducated ears highlights differences (and extremely preferential ones too) in the transfers from those undertaken by RCA a decade or so ago.

The Sy Oliver arranged tracks (Stardust, Oh look At Me Now, The One I Love & East Of The Sun are among my favourites from the RCA masters) especially have an extra discernable clarity across the spectrum which made me think I was listening to something totally new.

The real "star" for me on disc one of this compilation though has to be the signature "I'll Never Smile Again" a piece with all the beauty of an antique that has been not only technically improved but more importantly sympathetically restored by a group of people who have a real passion for the original.

Thank you to the folks at Sony for their work on the source material and to Chuck Granata especially for his generosity in allowing me to have this experience today.

The following two posts are offered as replacements for the two thread starters. Nancy may wish to cut and paste these into her original posts, if so desired.

[ The preliminary cover image, posted by Nancy prior to the actual release, was cropped from a still shot of FS and TD with Jo Stafford and The Pied Pipers, from the 1942 movie Ship Ahoy. The final cover concept is based on the limited edition 78 jacket "Everything Happens To Me" (1982). ]

THE ESSENTIAL FRANK SINATRA WITH THE TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA
Bluebird/Legacy (BMG/SONY) # 82876711662 (October 4, 2005)
CD Compilation of Original RCA Victor Recordings
44 Tracks on 2 Discs
Total Playing Time: 2 hours 18 minutes

Compilation produced by Didier C. Deutsch, Mark G. Wilder, Charles L. Granata
Newly restored and remastered at Sony Music Studios, NYC
Digital audio restoration by Andreas Meyer
Mastering by Mark G. Wilder, Woody Pornpitaksuk
Liner notes (12-page booklet) by Nancy Sinatra and Charles L. Granata

Track Listing

DISC 1

Arrangers:
Paul Weston (01)
Axel Stordahl (02,03,04,05,06,08,16,20,22)
Sy Oliver (07,12,17,18,19,23)
Freddie Stulce (09)
Unknown (10,11,13,14,15,21)

01. 02/26/40 I'll Be Seeing You
02. 03/04/40 Say It (Over And Over Again)
03. 03/04/40 Polka Dots And Moonbeams
04. 03/29/40 Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)
05. 04/10/40 Imagination
06. 04/23/40 You're Lonely And I'm Lonely
07. 04/23/40 East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
08. 04/23/40 It's A Lovely Day Tomorrow
09. 05/23/40 I'll Never Smile Again (w/The Pied Pipers)
10. 05/23/40 All This And Heaven Too
11. 06/27/40 Trade Winds
12. 06/27/40 The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else (w/The Pied Pipers)
13. 07/17/40 The Call Of The Canyon
14. 07/17/40 Love Lies
15. 07/17/40 I Could Make You Care
16. 08/29/40 Our Love Affair
17. 08/29/40 We Three (My Echo, My Shadow And Me)
18. 11/11/40 Stardust (w/The Pied Pipers)
19. 01/06/41 Oh! Look at Me Now (w/Connie Haines & The Pied Pipers)
20. 01/06/41 You Might Have Belonged To Another (w/Connie Haines & The Pied Pipers)
21. 01/15/41 It's Always You
22. 01/20/41 I Tried
23. 01/20/41 Dolores (w/The Pied Pipers)

DISC 2

Arrangers:
Axel Stordahl (01,02,03,04,10,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21)
Sy Oliver (05,06,12)
Paul Weston (07,09)
Heinie Beau (08)

01. 02/07/41 Do I Worry? (w/The Pied Pipers)
02. 02/07/41 Everything Happens To Me
03. 05/28/41 This Love Of Mine
04. 06/27/41 I Guess I'll Have To Dream The Rest (w/The Pied Pipers)
05. 06/27/41 You And I
06. 07/15/41 Blue Skies (w/Band Chorus)
07. 09/18/41 I Think of You (based on S. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2)
08. 09/26/41 Violets For Your Furs
09. 12/22/41 How About You?
10. 01/19/42 The Night We Called It A Day *
11. 01/19/42 The Song Is You *
12. 02/19/42 I'll Take Tallulah (w/Jo Stafford, Tommy Dorsey & The Pied Pipers)
13. 02/19/42 The Last Call For Love (w/The Pied Pipers)
14. 05/18/42 Just As Though You Were Here (w/The Pied Pipers)
15. 05/18/42 The Street Of Dreams (w/The Pied Pipers)
16. 06/09/42 Take Me
17. 06/09/42 Be Careful, It's My Heart
18. 06/17/42 In The Blue Of Evening
19. 07/01/42 There Are Such Things (w/The Pied Pipers)
20. 07/01/42 Daybreak
21. 07/02/42 Light A Candle In The Chapel

Orchestra conducted by Tommy Dorsey except:
*Conducted by Axel Stordahl

I've been lisening to Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey recently, Wow I'm blowen away. I have tried to not lisen to Frank (Impossible to do) and concentrate on the background music of the Dorsey band, I'm very impressed, guess I didn't hear much of his music when I was growing up, at least if I did didn't pay much attention. Mr. Dorsey was a great band leader and one hell of a Trombone player, and he and Frank togather, are a great combination. Kudo's to both of them. Will be lisening to more of their great music in the future.

FAS: You are my music

[Edwin]

Thank you very much. Great sound. Those early 40's recordings have never sounded this good before.

Ed Spiegel

For those who might not have pulled the trigger yet for this wonderful set, I saw it at Costco this weekend for the absurdly low price of $14.99.

Jay

I wasn't going to purchase this CD because I have the 5-disc set but being a fanatic, I had to have it.

The sound quality is excellent.

Emily

Excellent album

This is easily the best introduction you can have to the Sinatra and Dorsey sides. The song choices are tops though it would be wonderful to have "Night and Day" from his first solo session (mind you with many Dorsey band members in the orchestra) on there. Asides from that, simply marvelous.

Originally Posted by Bennet Marco

This is easily the best introduction you can have to the Sinatra and Dorsey sides.

Echoing David's past remark, with a timely bump in honor of the 67th anniversary (see Sinatra-Dorsey: 65th Anniversary) and additional related discussion in the Significant FS Anniversary Dates thread.

This double CD makes a great addition to anyone's Frank Sinatra collection. It has superior sound, and it is still in print and available on store shelves. Note that the album cover shown in the lead post of this thread was a preliminary image. See here above for the actual cover and track listing with recording dates and details.

[Nancy]

These recordings are priceless. Sweet and sentimental and I treasure them. Thanks Bob.

[Marty]

"I Guess I'll Have To Dream The Rest" from this collection just surprised me on a randomised media player list, dug the two disc set out as a result and I think it will play a big part in my weeks listening as a result.

[George Lyons]

I love the Sinatra/Dorsey era.

[SinatraFan]

This was the cd set that introduced me to Frank's years with Tommy Dorsey. I was suprised too at how great these recordings were and sounded. This set is a good starting place to hear Frank's earliest years. After hearing this set for awhile, I then got the box set The Song Is You.

[chris]

Just to clarify...

...the recordings on this 2CD set is the same as that found on the 5CD Song is You set, but with slightly improved sound??

[SinatraFan]

Originally Posted by chris

Just to clarify...

...the recordings on this 2CD set is the same as that found on the 5CD Song is You set, but with slightly improved sound??

Yes, all the tracks from this double CD set can be found on The Song Is You. And the sound is much improved on this 2005 release.

[Mark]

Wow. Not sure how I missed this one! So from reading this thread, the 5 CD set is the way to go?

And if so... Amazon actually has it downloadable for $40. Is that a good idea? Or do you recommend the box? Just not sure what quality the MP3s are.