Frank Sinatra - Classic Duets

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Music reviews of Classic Duets

Music Review: Historic and Enjoyable
Rating: 4 Stars

The bookend tunes are fantastic - opening with Louis Armstrong on "The Birth of The Blues" and closing with Ella Fitzgerald on "Put Your Dreams Away". The remaining quality of song choices and duet partners are not always up to par with Satchmo, Ella, or even Sinatra for that matter, but still there's some great listening moments.

Sinatra, though perhaps less inspired by the television cameras, is still captured during the top of his game. And the arrangements are done with the usual top-notch flair of Nelson Riddle. So it's basically top-shelf vocalization by the best in the business.

The sound quality is probably about as best as you could expect, considering Capitol was forced to try and remaster the soundtracks from the dusty old television tapes. For fans who already have the underground bootleg CD, "Sinatra: The Television Years," the sound quality of the tracks with Ella Fitzgerald are not markedly different. However, as mentioned, we do get to hear Ella and Frank singing a lovely version of "Put Your Dreams Away." And let's all be honest - even hearing Sinatra and Ella singing together through an old Bell telephone during a thunderstorm would be a joyous occasion, so there is much to be thankful here.

The tracks with fellow Rat Packers (Dino, Bing and Sammy) are mildly disappointing. There's almost too much "yucking it up" with the Dino and Bing duets. Don't get me wrong, I love to see them having fun, but in my opinion their antics play out better on video than on just audio alone.

The "Me and My Shadow" duet with Sammy should not be confused with the more familiar and enjoyable Sammy Cahn-penned version that appeared during the '62 Villa Venice concert and in the Reprise studio. This "Shadow" isn't bad, but it's more of a work-in-progress version.

For me, the most affecting duets are with Peggy Lee. My, what a marvelous singer, probably more complex and multi-faceted than we will ever know. There's always been a weird tenderness exhibited between them - Lee the somewhat fragile one, Sinatra the obvious protector - and it's noticeable here as well. I'm telling you, the unspoken interplay between them is palpable and rather extraordinary.

Overall, I might not start with the CD to begin a Sinatra collection, but then again, I wouldn't think my already-established Sinatra collection would be complete without it.

Description of Classic Duets

Franks Sinatra Photos

More from Ole Blue Eyes

Classic Sinatra	In the Wee Small Hours	Complete Capitol Singles
The Capitol Years	Close to You and More	Come Swing with Me

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. --Jerry McCulley

Broadway & Vocalists CDs

• Music > Styles
• Jazz
• Pop