Most of what’s here has never been commercially available and they cover a largely undocumented and vibrant time during Sinatra’s career. These are live broadcasts and have a freshness and spontaneity not easily captured in the recording studio. The fidelity is better than broadcast recordings from this era have any right to be. The early days of digital sound "restoration" were problematic with frequent overuse resulting in lifeless, artificial transfers that removed all the detail of the originals. These two releases are revelations in comparison. There's very little in the way of record surface noise (the bulk of these tracks were recorded live to disc) with a small handful of exceptions that remind you these are early disc recordings, not tape. The occasional surface noise that does get through is never distracting and, when noticed, kind of charming.
The overall fidelity is outstanding, that's where the real surprise is. It's very hard to believe the oldest track here is from 1935. There's a warmth and a broad, clear frequency range throughout.
Speaking of that oldest broadcast, that's another revelation. Until now, the earliest recording of Sinatra available anywhere was a live date he did with the Harry James Orchestra in July 8, 1939, a recording of "Stardust." Here the oldest recording is from September 8, 1935! It's an appearance Sinatra did with "The Hoboken Four" on the "Major Bowes Amateur Hour." Surprisingly, even though Sinatra is one of four blended singers and his voice is radically different from the older Sinatra, I have no trouble picking his vocal line out in the group.
The next oldest recording (May 12, 1937) is unusual in that Sinatra doesn't even sing! It's an appearance on "The Fred Allen Show as "Frank Sinatra and his Four Sharps" and it's an instrumental. Sinatra kibitzes a bit with Allen to introduce the song ("Exactly Like You"), but that's all you hear of him. I assume he was their vocalist, but for some reason he doesn't sing.
These releases have a lot of early-Americana charm. You get many period commercials (including for cigarettes) and frequent interruptions for war bulletins, all of which puts a great framework around these releases and fleshes out the era. There's a lot of sweet cornball humor, and a Sinatra whose voice is clear bordering on operatic, almost unrecognizable from the later Sinatra.
It's fascinating to hear Sinatra evolve from a shy, tentative - yet still outspoken - young unknown, to a confident bobby-soxer idol. You hear him stretch on these live broadcasts, occasionally ad-libbing to the squeals of the studio audiences. And those audiences! On one number, "I'll Get By" from May 6, 1944, Sinatra toys with them, teasing and flirting and making funny asides that are greeted with the kinds of worshipful squeals The Beatles might have thought they'd invented. The relaxed feel of these recordings is priceless and shows another unexpected level to this well-known singer. (Wait until you hear "Cement Mixer" with the comic jazz singer and musician Slim Gaillard, it's a gas!)
If I had to describe these releases with one simple phrase, I'd say they're sweetly charming. The performances are as enjoyable (often more) as the commercial releases he did for Columbia. In these recordings there's a sweetness, a certain naiveté maybe, or a kindness, that reflect a more innocent time.
If you're a Sinatra fan, this is obviously a must-buy. If you like popular entertainment and/or old time radio from the era, you'll love this. If you're a fan of good audio restorations, this is for you. I can't rave about these releases enough.
http://sinatrafamily.com/forum/showthread.php/48263-FRANK-SINATRA-LOST-AND-FOUND-%C2%96-THE-RADIO-YEARS-(Smithsonian-Columbia-Legacy)-2015-nbsp
https://subscribe.smithsonianmag.com/sinatracd/?no-ist=
http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-voice-on-air-1935-1955-mw0002887297
http://theseconddisc.com/2015/11/25/review-frank-sinatra-a-voice-on-air/
