Complete Reprise Studio Recordings

Frank & the Count? Come on! It just can't, and doesn't, get any better than this. Of course, like many others, I've had these two now-joined recordings previously on vinyl, then cd, then remastered cd in the complete Reprise studio collection, and downloaded onto my iPod. But it's great to have these recordings on one beautifully sounding disk There's Sinatra & Jobim, Sinatra & the Duke, and Sinatra duets with Ella (He & she doing Lady is a Tramp on video is one of the pop music classics of all time.) and Satch (The two doing Birth of the Blues on video is another.), and there's Sinatra & Basie. I mean, if this were philosophy--which in some senses it is--we would be talking Aristotle and Plato. Classical music--Mozart & Bach. Opera--Puccinni & Verdi. Yes, Frank & the Count is magnificent and enduring and as new and fresh as when the two of them performed together at the Sands or recorded these two albums. Oh, and did I mention "Q"--as Sinatra would call him--i.e., Quincy Jones conducted and arranged these. Just cannot be exceeded!

Don't be mislead, this compilation is worth getting -- in my opinion even if you have the original two Reprise studio albums. "Frank Sinatra - Count Basie: The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings" is a remastered compilation of two of the most interesting Sinatra records in his vast catalog -- "Sinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical First" and "It Might as Well Be Swing" are artfully rendered into a single 20 track masterpiece that pays tribute to the too brief and truly historic union of Frank out in front of Count Basie and his amazing band. Remastering these recordings was a bit worrisome to me because they were laid down so well in the original Reprise album releases. After spending several hours listening to and comparing this new release with the original albums, I need not have worried -- the folks at Concord, BluWave Audio and the sundry engineers involved in this effort absolutely nailed it! A Masterful Remaster... One of the principle areas I focus on when reviewing a digital remastered album is ... "can I discern a quality difference". In other words, can you actually hear and appreciate the end product of the remastering effort. I mean, what's the point of remastering if you can't hear a noticeable quality benefit. The team that took on Sinatra and Basie's best were truly masterful. Frank... There is a subtle, noticeable and beneficial "rounding" of Frank's vocals. To be clear, the original recordings are in no way deficient -- in fact they are excellent -- but Frank's entries, exits and tonal quality on this edition experiences a definite depth of field enhancement. Again, it is subtle but Sinatra's amazing vocal stylings on these classic Basie Band recordings sound deep and round without ANY dissociative effects. There is no sense that the vocals have been over enhanced or "punched up" in a way ... no notion that they stand apart from the music. The vocal/music integration remains beautifully interlaced. Basie... The audio engineering Jedi mastering really hits home with Basie's music. Like the vocals, the original albums were laid down really well, so making improvements must have been a challenge, but the engineers rose to that challenge and hit the music tracks out of the park. The original sound stage (instrument positioning) was excellent but gets even more positional clarity with enhancements to virtually every instrument in Basie's band. Maybe the biggest positive impact is with Basie's piano which now arrives naturally clear and more forward by just the right amount. Additional big benefits are heard in the sax, the bass and the flute ... the entries and exits on the sax are clear, round and beautiful and you can damn near hear the bassist fingers on the strings. The songs with that lilting flute ... wow. All natural and crisp in the mid tones and absolutely no mud on the low end. Conclusion... The bottom line is "Sinatra & Basie's The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings" album is definitely worth snaring -- even if you already own the full Sinatra-Basie collection. The discernible quality difference translates into an enhanced listening experience that I think is well worth the asking price. (Check out my full review on the Vocalstandards site)

It’s Sinatra and Basie! Nothing more to say. Very famous, classic album.

The material here was originally released as two distinct LPs. The earlier sessions with the Basie band were arranged by Neal Hefti, who was responsible for some of the band's best work (see Atomic Basie). These first 12 charts really swing,with rollicking instrumental solos, and show Sinatra to be a vocalist comfortably at home in front of a formidable jazz band. The Quincy Jones arrangements, recorded two years later, feature strings and a more relaxed, polished approach. Note: this session is still sold separately as "It Might As Well Be Swing." Together one sees Sinatra working hard to establish himself and his new "reprise" label as leaders in jazz recordings. His contribution in a period when even famous bands like Basie's and Ellington's were struggling on the road, working for as little as $1,400 per night, deserves credit. Even a talent as formidable as Frank Sinatra couldn't hold the culture back from the changes that rode in with the Beach Boys and the Beatles. The music here speaks for itself - among the best work of Frank's career. And jazz still speaks for itself - a powerful genre marked by exploration and emphasizing the individual's role in making the best of life and love as they come.

What a great combination of artists, Sinatra and Basie. Its easy to hear their mutual enjoyment of each others music and company. They had a good time recording this music. You should have this one in your collection.

I have many Sinatra cd's and I'm really happy to have this one in my collection, it's very uplifting! Lots of great songs you won't find on his many cd's, plus you've got the added bonus of Count Basie. Highly recommend. One bad thing, considering you must pay the exhorbitant shipping charge, it was disappointing that it took more than 3 weeks to receive (apparently it gets shipped on slow boat from England). This is 2021, so someone should advise there's a different mode of transportation. Still, I must say it's worth the wait.

Great music and sounds great!

Wow, I really enjoy listening to this CD over and over again. If you want to learn how to swing listen to this, it's like attending a masterclass on swing that I think every musician should own. Every musician swings, you could hear it in every details of the phrasing. Frank Sinatra with Basie, what a combination! Surprisingly you want hear all the most familiar Frank Sinatra tunes on this album. Highly recommended.

LOVED IT - ESPECIALLY ENJOYED COUNT BASIE'S ORCHESTRATION OF THE WONDERFUL TUNES. OF COURSE, ANYTHING FRANK SINATRA SINGS IS GREAT! HIS VOICE BLENDS BEAUTIFULLY WITH EACH AND EVERY ORCHESTRA.

superbe achat ...! Sinatra , Count Basie & les arrangements de Neal Hefti en première partie sont vraiment Superbe on se croirais dans les année 60 , la deuxièmes partie arrangements de Quincy Jones avec des violons des aires plus connus mais tous aussi Superbe...! tous de CD est Superbe 10/10

Un sound ancora oggi meraviglioso, un'accoppiata fortunata, due tra le più riuscite incisioni di Sinatra riunite in un unico disco rimasterizzato, Count Basie un orchestra tra le migliori della storia del jazz, arrangiatori e direttori della portata di Neal Hefti e Quincy Jones, credo che si tratti di una pietrea miliare di riferimento . Ho i due LP e volevo riascoltare questi brani nello splendore delle più recenti tecniche audiofoniche. Sono molto felice di avere acquistato questo disco che stò ascoltando più volte ancora, scoprendo particolarietà e sfumature che gli LP non mi facevano notare nonostante un raffinatissimo impianto HI-FI.

この盤はLP「Sinatra'Basie: An Historic Musical First(1962)」「It Might As Well Be Swing(1964)」を2in1に したものです。 歌うはシナトラ！伴奏はカウント・ベイシー楽団！編曲はニール・ヘフティ＆クインシー・ジョーンズ!! もうあまりに隙のない鉄壁の布陣に心は躍ります。 面白い曲としてはプレスリーもよく歌う"I Can't Stop Loving You"や『世界残酷物語』の主題歌"More (Theme from Mondo Cane)" 、"My Kind of Girl" "Hello, Dolly!"といった60年代のヒット曲をシナトラが完全に自分のものにして歌っているのが心地よいです。 シナトラ×ベイシーといえばライブ盤「 Sinatra at the Sands 」も素晴しいので是非聴いてくださいな。

Un disco efervescente, lleno de matices, brillante y hondo. La mejor orquesta jazz de USA, el mejor cantante, y los mejores arreglistas (Hefti y Quincy Jones), colaborando para hacer unas grabaciones que ocuparan un lugar preferente en la historia de la música popular.