Frank Sinatra - Beautiful Ballads & Love Songs

Kick back, relax and enjoy some of the greatest love songs ever written.

While browsing through the CD section at my local bookstore the other day I stumbled upon this brand new Frank Sinatra disc from Sony BMG. "Beautiful Ballads and Love Songs" features 15 classic tunes recorded by Sinatra during the 1940's and early 1950's. Although I did have some of these songs in my collection already I simply could not resist. And believe me I was not disappointed!
"Beautiful Ballads and Love Songs" offers a virtual treasure trove of the very best of the Great American Songbook. You will hear a very young Frank Sinatra collaborating with the finest musicians and arrangers in the business and the result is pure magic! Without a doubt my favorite track on this disc has to be "Stardust". It simply does not get any better than this! This 1940 RCA Victor recording features Sinatra with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra backed by the legendary Pied Pipers. Sy Oliver's arrangement of this Hoagy Carmicheal classic is simply amazing. This is a tune I could never ever get tired of hearing. Most of the tunes featured on "Beautiful Ballads and Love Songs" were culled from Frank Sinatra's highly successful stint at Columbia records during the 1940's. At Columbia, Sinatra worked closely with arranger Axel Stordahl.
It didn't take Stordahl long to realize that he had an enormously gifted vocalist on his hands and he tailored his arrangements to Sinatra's magnificent voice. During his decade at Columbia Sinatra would record close to 300 sides and Stordahl would arrange nearly three quarters of them. Enjoy once again great favorites like George and Ira Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me" and the haunting "September Song" from 1946. I also got a kick out of Frank's version of Cole Porter's "Begin The Beguine" from the Broadway musical "Jubilee". Frank also does a splendid job on Johnny Mercer's "Dream (When You're Feeling Blue)". That one is a personal favorite. Among the tunes I had never heard before I most particularly enjoyed "Autumn In New York". See if you agree.
"Beautiful Ballads and Love Songs" is just one offering from a new 10 disc series recently released by Sony BMG. This series features the music of artists as diverse as Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Earth, Wind & Fire. I think it would be safe to charactorize this series of reissues as budget offerings so don't expect many extras. There is minimal information on each track and no liner notes of any kind. Having said that "Frank Sinatra: Beautiful Ballads and Love Songs" turned out to be a disc I thoroughly enjoyed. Recommended. March 18, 2008

An Enchanting Compilation of Beautiful Ballads and Love Songs

If you are like me, who sometimes love to listen to an enchanting compilation of Frank Sinatra's beautiful ballads and love songs with nostalgic feel and old-fashioned charms, then you will find this latest offering from Sony Music released early this year, "Beautiful Ballads and Love Songs," a welcome addition to your Sinatra collection. Likewise, if are a big fan of the Great American Songbook with songs written by the most brilliant songwriters ever lived like the Gershwin Brothers, Berlin, Mercer, Porter, Carmichael, Parish, among others, then this recording will truly give you a delightful listening experience.

There is a sentimental ambience and a touch of nostalgia listening to the Chairman's recordings in 1940s featuring Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra on the first two tracks - "Blue Skies" and "Stardust," and Ken Lane Singers on background vocals on "Dream." Most of the arrangements are from one of the earliest and finest Sinatra arrangers/conductors/orchestrators -- Axel Stordahl, who was known for his exquisite and classically-oriented charts and dubbed as the "Father of Modern Orchestration." The equally talented Sy Oliver and George Siravo's impressive arrangements can also be heard on some of the tracks. The songs here perfectly define Frank Sinatra's vocal artistry as young, pure, romantic, affectionate, warm, tender and listener-friendly -- the "Voice" that captured the listening ears and loving hearts of millions of fans.

All the fifteen songs are beautiful highlights and my all-time favorites, but my top choices include Parish/Carmichael's "Stardust," where you can hear the charming voice of Jo Stafford with the Pied Pipers, Johnny Mercer's "Dream," Gershwins' "Someone To Watch Over Me," Young /Washington's "Stella by Starlight," Cole Porter's "Begin The Beguine" and Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies."

This is a collector's item and I wholeheartedly recommend it for your listening enjoyment. March 15, 2008

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