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Reviewers: Don Mather, Dick Stafford, Marc Bridle, John Eyles, Ian Lace, Colin Clarke, Jack Ashby




Crotchet
Budget Price

Bluebird’s Best

Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey

Bluebird 09026 63928 2

 

 

  1. Star Dust
  2. Night and day
  3. The One I Love
  4. This Love of Mine
  5. There are Such Things
  6. The Song is You
  7. Oh1 Look at Me Now
  8. Fools Rush In
  9. Say It
  10. I’ll Never Smile Again
  11. Violets for Your Furs
  12. Everything Happens to Me
  13. Blue Skies
  14. I’ll Be Seeing You

These sides were made in 1940 to 1942, when Sinatra had just left the Harry James band to join Tommy Dorsey. They are therefore part of the Sinatra learning experience, which enabled him to make albums like ‘Songs for Swinging Lovers’ in the 1950’s. It is much the same with the arrangers Sy Oliver, Nelson Riddell, Alex Stordell and Paul Weston all sound very competent here but not exceptional.

Most of the tunes are still around today, so they have stood the test of time well. Sinatra's’voice deepened as he got older and his sense of timing became remarkable. This enabled his stage presence to develop and take him into the superstar category.

Even the presence of Joe Stafford in the Pied Pipers, the Dorsey vocal group, does not help much; she was learning her craft as well!

Sinatra was a long way from the finished article at this point in his career and I find it hard to get much from listening to him on this record when I am so familiar with the finished article.

Don Mather

 

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