by Phil Gallo
The Frank Sinatra being widely celebrated on the 100th anniversary of his Dec. 12, 1915 birth focuses on Frank's suave side – the saloon songs, the swing with Count Basie and the songbook he popularized with Billy May, Nelson Riddle and Don Costa handling the arrangements.
Columbia/Legacy's Frank Sinatra: A Voice on the Air 1935-1955 captures Sinatra's early evolution as a live performer, from a soft-voiced interpreter of hits of the day to a commanding presence whose late '40s radio work provided a strong hint that indeed the best was yet to come.
There are gems within the old-fashioned sides here—a 1940 performance of Irving Berlin's “Marie” is a spirited kick in the pants—but it's disc 4's collection of performances from Your Hit Parade and NBC's Light Up Time and his headlining shows that reveal Sinatra's vocal magic.
