What people search:
 | Title : Classic Duets
Author : Frank Sinatra
Release Date : 20021105
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $17.98
Amazon.com Price : $
(
%)
VISIT AMAZON.COM'S PAGE |
Editorial Reviews :
Given his enormous talent and unparalleled musical history--not to mention the healthy, suffer-no-fools ego they inspired--it's hardly surprising that duets are relatively few and far between in Frank Sinatra's catalog, his smash duet on 'Somethin' Stupid' with daughter Nancy notwithstanding. But in the heyday of the TV variety show, the star-hosted format virtually demanded musical cross-pollination, a tradition that carried over from radio. It's that fertile, largely unexplored territory that this rewarding, 21-track anthology (most previously unreleased on CD) explores in conjunction with the PBS special of the same name.
Here, Sinatra scales the jazz summit with Louis Armstrong on 'Birth of the Blues' and does three electrifying collaborations with one of his faves, Ella Fitzgerald. Rat Pack cohorts Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.--along with honorary member Bing Crosby--loosen up the legend as always, and even rival Elvis Presley gets the Chairman's respect on a wonderfully playful meeting-of-the-icons medley of 'Witchcraft'-'Love Me Tender.' A warm, welcome addition to the Sinatra canon, whose banter-filled performances emphasize the saloon singer supreme's humor and humanity.
Buyer Reviews :
Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful set. But it's too bad Capitol sees the 'Duets' concept as a money-maker. A better CD would have the best of these tracks along with Frank's many solo performances from the old TV shows. The success, both critical and commercial, of Rhino's recent 'Sinatra in Hollywood' box shows that there is a market for a more complete record of his TV performances. Instead, we get this teaser, marketed to go on the shelf alongside the abysmal 'Duets' CDs of the 1990s.
Still, any unreleased Frank is better than none at all, so let's get to the highlights. The Frank 'n' Bing 'September Song' is wonderful, as is 'Birth of the Blues' with Satchmo. The songs with Peggy Lee and Ella are not to be missed, either. Personally, I've heard the Frank/Elvis duet once too often--neither were at their peak there. All in all, though, some of this is great, some is fun, all of it is worth a listen.
Would it have killed Capitol to have included the original broadcast dates, however? For more info, go to sinatraarchive.com and look under 'Television' in the Reference section. All of these date between November 1957 and May 1960.
(by Ken French)
back
What people search:
|
|
