In Philadelphia, one of the leading
Frank Sinatra experts is a veteran DJ named
Sid Mark, who hosts a local weekend radio show that plays
Sinatra's recordings exclusively. When
Sinatra died on May 14, 1998, the Philly media rang
Mark's phone off the hook and asked him to comment on
Sinatra's legacy -- and one of his most memorable comments was that the 20th century had officially ended with
Sinatra's passing.
Mark's point was that
Sinatra, more than anyone, defined traditional
jazz-influenced
pop singing in the 20th century, and he would probably agree that
Voice of the Century is an appropriate title for a collection of early
Sinatra -- very early. When fans speak of early
Sinatra, they often mean his
Columbia period (which started in 1943). But there's early
Sinatra and very early
Sinatra -- very early as in the singer's pre-
Columbia work with trombonist
Tommy Dorsey. Spanning 1940-1942, this superb CD takes listeners back to a time when
Sinatra had yet to record for
Columbia and was still a featured vocalist for
Dorsey's
big band. A few of the tracks find
Sinatra joining forces with
Axel Stordahl & His Orchestra, including
"The Song Is You" and
"Night and Day." But most of the time,
Ol' Blue Eyes is in
Dorsey's employ -- and on several selections,
Dorsey unites
Sinatra with the distinctive vocal harmonies of
the Pied Pipers (including
pop goddess
Jo Stafford). The
Sinatra heard on sublime early-'40s performances of
"I'll Be Seeing You" "Stardust," "Say It," and
"Everything Happens to Me" isn't the strutting, swaggering
Sinatra of the '50s, '60s, and '70s; in the early '40s, he was a boyish crooner with a strong
Bing Crosby influence.
Voice of the Century is easily recommended to anyone who is seeking a concise introduction to
Sinatra's pre-
Columbia period. ~ Alex Henderson
