In a matter befitting the 100th birthday of an American icon, Sony Music's Legacy Recordings announces the November 20th, 2015 release of Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-1955), a historic 100+ track, 4-CD deluxe box set culled from an invaluable collection of rare radio broadcasts and rehearsals – immaculately restored from the original recording masters for unprecedented high-fidelity sound.
Luxuriously packaged with a 60-page book, Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-1955) is an essential addition to Sinatra's voluminous discography, offering a unique glimpse into the formative period of America's first teen idol: Frank Sinatra, the man who became known the world over as "The Voice." Included in the book are an introductory essay by renowned singer, pianist and archivist Michael Feinstein; a personal remembrance by Frank's eldest daughter Nancy Sinatra and detailed essay by foremost Sinatra historian, author and box set producer Charles L. Granata. The package was designed by noted Art Director Maria Marulanda, who created the landmark 2007 Columbia/Legacy box set Frank Sinatra: A Voice in Time.
In assembling this groundbreaking box set marking the first official release anthologizing Frank Sinatra's seminal radio performances, the producers have mined treasures from their own extensive Sinatra broadcast transcription collections and the world's most prestigious archives and sound recording repositories including The Library of Congress, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, the Paley Center for Media, the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative archive and The University of Colorado's Glenn Miller Archive. Included are dozens of rare photographs and recording artifacts that help to illustrate the scope of Sinatra's incredible radio career.
Meticulously restored and remastered in high-resolution from the original glass and aluminum radio transcription discs and magnetic tape masters by three-time Grammy winning recording engineer Andreas Meyer and Sinatra producer Charles L. Granata, these vintage, historic recordings – most of them unheard since their original broadcast in the 1940s and 1950s – sound more rich and vibrant than ever before. All of the warmth and vibrancy that are hallmarks of Frank Sinatra's vocal brilliance have been preserved, and showcased with unprecedented fidelity.
This breathtaking overview charts Frank Sinatra's evolution as a vocalist, and includes samples of his radio work from the first twenty years of his amazing career, from his first radio performance in 1935 (singing "S-H-I-N-E" with the Hoboken Four) to his last weekly series in 1955 (The Frank Sinatra Show, featuring ultra-rare performances with an in-studio quintet). From beginning to end, Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-1955) envelops the listener in the atmosphere surrounding the creation of these masterful radio performances in the 1930s, '40s and '50s.
This box set holds special significance – both in Frank Sinatra's body of work, and as a special 100th Birthday tribute – as it includes dozens of songs that were never officially recorded by Frank Sinatra, and dozens of unusual (and unrecorded) arrangements of Sinatra's most prized songs. Among the treasures included on the collection are Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In," Frank Loesser's "I Wish I Didn't Love You So," Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin's "Long Ago and Far Away," Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen's "Aren't You Glad You're You" and Richard Whiting, Leo Robin and Newell Chase's "My Ideal" – all important classics from the Great American Songbook that Sinatra never recorded.
Then, there are priceless duets with Nat 'King' Cole ("Exactly Like You"), Benny Goodman ("I Only Have Eyes for You"), Peggy Lee ("You Brought A New Kind of Love to Me"), Metropolitan Opera star Dorothy Kirsten ("A Fine Romance"), Doris Day ("Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "There's No Business Like Show Business" and Milton Berle ("It's De-Lovely") – as well as songwriters Irving Berlin ("Alexander's Ragtime Band"), Johnny Mercer ("Ac-Cen-Tchu-Ate the Positive") and Louisiana Governor Jimmy Davis ("You Are My Sunshine"). Also included are seldom-heard program openings, closings, announcements and commercials – PLUS twelve surprise bonus tracks that are sure to delight even the die-hard Sinatra fan!
Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-1955) was produced by Charles L. Granata, Didier C. Deutsch, Michael Feinstein and Andreas Meyer in cooperation with Legacy Recordings, Frank Sinatra Enterprises and the Smithsonian Institution. Executive Producers for the project are Nancy Sinatra, Adam Block and John Jackson. Editing, restoration and mastering are by Andreas Meyer and Charles L. Granata.
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