Search - Frank Sinatra :: Christmas With Sinatra & Friends

Sampling of Sinatra's post-Capitol Christmas recordings

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 10/29/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 2009 collection combines eight post-Capitol Sinatra tracks with selected performances by Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett & Bill Evans, and Ray Charles & Betty Carter. This is a new compilation of existing material, rather than a collection put together by Sinatra during his lifetime. Sinatra is in good voice throughout, supported by full orchestrations and arrangements from Nelson Riddle and Don Costa. He sings Christmas classics and lesser known songs, such as "Christmas Memories" and "An Old Fashioned Christmas," written by his friends Don Costa, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, and Sammy Cahn & Jimmy Van Heusen; his original "Mistletoe and Holly" is also included.



Sinatra's singing friends were invited to the party through the magic of archival compilation, rather than a personal summons from the Chairman. Still, the disc's producer has done a terrific job of programming, and the re-mastering smoothly weaves together material from multiple studios and thirty-plus years of recording. Tony Bennett sings to the solo piano of Bill Evans, and Ray Charles sings a famous duet with Betty Carter (a track that also appears on the recent reissue of Charles' The Spirit of Christmas). Mel Torme sings his own "The Christmas Song," and Rosemary Clooney provides a warm, if somewhat wavery reprise of the Irving Berlin classic "White Christmas" from her 1996 album White Christmas.



The set's most notable tracks for collectors are a pair taken from his 1957 holiday television special Happy Holidays with Bing & Frank, the aforementioned "Mistletoe and Holly" as well as "Santa Clause is Coming to Town." Those looking for original Sinatra holiday albums should check out 1957's A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra or 1968's The Sinatra Family With You a Merry Christmas. You can also find a compilation of his late-40s Christmas recordings for Columbia on Christmas Songs by Sinatra (and a deeper helping of his Reprise-era work on The Christmas Collection). These are traditional and classy rather than ring-a-ding-ding, which itself can be found on Christmas With the Rat Pack. All are worth hearing, but this short collection (37 minutes) provides a nice alternative, particularly for its inclusion of related artists and two rarities. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]"

"Christmas Is A Season of Friendship"

Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 12/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""More than any other time of the year Christmas is the season of friendship. We all have friends, some we see everyday, others we may not see for years on end. Yet, at least once each year, we interact with them all...And of course, it's the songs of Christmas that perennially underscore that feeling of good will around the world. And when we talk of songs, you can't exclude Frank Sinatra from the Christmas scene. Over the years there have been numerous Sinatra Christmas albums, but this one is both special and different." ~ Ken Barnes ~



Picture Frank Sinatra with some of his friends celebrating a heartwarming, old fashioned Christmas through a dozen of memorable holiday music. The result is this newly-released compilation album from Concord Records. Special thanks to Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Compilation Producer and Sinatra Archivist Charles Pignone, Executive Producer Hal Gaba and Engineer Larry Walsh for a well-produced Christmas album. The songs from this collection were recorded many moons ago and taken from various albums, but they surely sound fresh and unsullied as if they were just recorded recently. I can vouch that the sound quality is superb. Thank goodness to the wonders of ultra modern recording/remastering technology.



It's hard to resist a wonderful compilation such as this so when I spotted the CD during my recent visit to my second favorite book/music store next to Amazon.com, I grabbed it at once and headed to the checkout counter with three other CDs in my hand (Al Jarreau's "Christmas," Manhattan Transfer's "An Acapella Christmas" and Roberta Gambarini's "So In Love"). After all it was the one and only Sinatra CD left from among all holiday music on the rack. I'm so glad I did - my Christmas wouldn't be complete without listening to Sinatra Christmas carols. And although I do have all the tracks that were performed by the Chairman of the Board, I still welcome this collection with enthusiastic ears. What made it even more special is the presence of musical legends Tony Bennett and Bill Evans in "A Child Is Born," Ray Charles and Betty Carter in "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Rosemary Clooney in "White Christmas" and Mel Torme who sang his very own "The Christmas Song" in an enchanting fashion with emphasis on his cool and smooth voice.



Here is a lovely Christmas disc that awaits a bona fide Sinatra enthusiast. I can guarantee that you'll love it as much as I do. So make sure that you celebrate "An Old Fashioned Christmas" with Frank Sinatra and friends, and create some wonderful "Christmas Memories" that you'll treasure through the years.



I wish everybody the blessings of Christmas and its special gifts - love, joy, peace, hope; and every beautiful thing that the happiest kind of New Year can bring.



"I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth

Good will to men!" ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~"

Winning holiday collection from Frank and friends

MusicFilm Fan | Wash., DC | 10/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There a couple of bonuses hidden here among what appear to be well known holiday tracks by Frank Sinatra and his friends.



First, these aren't Frank's usual Rat Pack friends (Dino and Sammy), who are featured on another excellent Christmas collection. Instead, here you have Tony Bennett, whom Frank called his favorite singer, as well as Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, and, in a duet, Ray Charles and Betty Carter, all of whom add some very nice variety to this collection.



The Sinatra cuts are primarily Christmas songs from his post-Capitol career and, while some are not the usual familiar standards (for example, "An Old-Fashioned Christmas"), they are all very, very good performances. But there are a couple of nice surprises that aren't featured on any of his original Christmas albums: from Frank's 1957 holiday TV show, we get renditions of "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" and "Mistletoe and Holly," sung while Frank's voice was in its Capitol-era prime.



The tracks by Mel Torme ("The Christmas Song") and Rosemary Clooney ("White Christmas") are from the very good holiday albums that they made in the 90s for Concord Records, the issuer of this compilation. Tony Bennett performs "A Child Is Born" with virtuoso jazz pianist Bill Evans -- not usually considered a holiday song, but it fits right in here, and is an excellent performance by both artists. Of course, you can't go wrong with Ray Charles and Betty Carter on the winter duet classic, "Baby It's Cold Outside."



The compilers of this album did a very good job of picking some stylistically consistent tracks by Sinatra's peers to spice up what might have been just another reissue of Frank's Christmas music. (Good as it is, most of it is out there already.) Throw in the two surprises from Frank's TV show and you have a very winning holiday collection."