The Essential Albums

Sinatra and Riddle in the studio

Nelson Riddle working while Sinatra
watches intently.

Since this is my web page, I get to choose a few favorites from among the dozens of commercially available CDs. It seems a bit unfair, however, to include favorites that are bootlegs or extremely difficult to find due to their limited release so I've limited my selections to readily available discs.

Some of my choices are so essential that they end up on everyone's short list. Their greatness is beyond the need for justification. Others are personal favorites that just happen to be at the top of my short list at this moment in my life. Taste do change from time to time, but irrepesctive of this, these discs still represent the pinnacle of vocal artistry.

SFYL/SE Songs For Young Lovers/Swing Easy, 1954

IWSH In the Wee Small Hours, 1955

SFSL Songs For Swingin' Lovers!, 1956

ASA A Swingin' Affair!, 1956

CFWM Come Fly With Me, 1957

FSSFOTL Frank Sinatra Sings For Only the Lonely, 1958

RADD Ring-a-Ding Ding!, 1960

SAWM Swing Along With Me, 1961

IMAWBS It Might as Well Be Swing, 1963

FASAACJ Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, 1967

FAAEK Francis A. & Edward K., 1968

LIARNQ Frank Sinatra With The Red Norvo Quintet Live In Australia, 1959, 1996

Yes, I do have the orignal vinyl recordings of most of these CDs (in all the various formats—7" EP, 10" EP, 12" LP, etc.) and may some day put together a list of favorites from among them, the bootlegs and limited release CDs in my collection.

Check out John Brown's SinatraAlbumCovers.com, a veritable treasure chest of classic and rare Sinatra album artwork.