Sinatra '57: In Concert (1999)

Whether you prefer Ol' Blue Eyes as the bobby-sox crooner of the big-band era or the supreme song stylist of the late 1950s, these newly issued recordings offer nothing less than a Sinatra gold mine. The Dorsey radio broadcasts catch the singer in confident, mellifluous voice, if not yet the virile master of swing that he was to become in the next decade. Croon has its share of top-notch standards; unfortunately, It's All So New! suffers from mediocre period material. But Sinatra '57: In Concert, the 1957 live recording, captures Sinatra at his peak, biting into trademark tunes and caressing great ballads with masterful assurance. Recordings like this can convince you that the world's most famous singer was actually underrated as an artist.
Croon: B
It's All So New!: C+
Sinatra '57: In Concert: A