Frank Sinatra & Friends – Together: Duets On the Air & In the Studio – Vinyl LP

This album is a superb collection of Frank and friends from a part of Frank’s career that has long been underrated. Here, Sinatra scales the jazz summit with Louis Armstrong on ‘Birth Of The Blues’ and does three electrifying collaborations with one of his favourites, Ella Fitzgerald. Ella’s voice is at her best in each. Rival Elvis Presley gets the Chairman’s respect on a wonderfully playful meeting-of-the-icons medley of ‘Witchcraft’/’Love Me Tender’. The tunes are bright and lively and many benefit from Nelson Riddle’s arranging genius. Frank and Dean are great, improvising and playing off one another as always. But wait until you hear ‘Together’ in which Bing joins Dino and Frank for a happy, hilarious threesome.

1. Sammy Davis Jr. – Me and My Shadow
2. Judy Garland – Gotta Be This or That
3. Keely Smith – How Are Ya’ Fixed For Love
4. Louis Armstrong – Lonesome Man Blues
5. Ella Fitzgerald – Moonlight In Vermont:I May Be Wrong
6. Peggy Lee – Nice Work If You Can Get It
7. Nat King Cole – Exactly Like You
8. Rosemary Clooney – Cherry Pies Ought To Be You
9. Pearl Bailey – a Little Learnin’ is a Dangerous Thing 1 & 2
10. Ella Fitzgerald – Can’t We Be Friends
11. Dean Martin – the One I Love Belong To Someone Else
12. Rosemary Clooney – Peachtree Street
13. Doris Day – You, My Love
14. Louis Armstrong – the Birth of the Blues
15. Peggy Lee – You Brought a New Kind of Love To Me
16. Bing Crosby – Well Did You Evah?
17. Elvis Presley – Witchcraft; Love Me Tender
18. Keely Smith – Nothing In Common
19. Bing Crosby & Dean Martin – Together