Learn to Croon

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Frank Sinatra had yet to escape the artistic shadow of Bing Crosby when he sang Crosby's self-mocking "Learn to Croon" as part of a 1940 Dorsey-band broadcast medley. (As for Our Gang's Alfalfa, who also essayed the tune, he never did escape.) Learn to Croon collects more Dorsey-Sinatra performances from the trove that produced its companion volume, It's All So New! Unburdened by that CD's load of amateur-song-contest submissions, Croon focuses instead on Sinatra-Dorsey-Jo Stafford "Memory Medleys" and some hot ensemble band work. A sweet, swinging, amusing look back at the days of Sinatra's very early stardom. --Rickey Wright

Tracks:

Ida! Sweet As Apple Cider
Blue Moon
Medley: Learn to Croon/More Than You Kow/How Come You Do Me Like You Do
I've Got My Eyes On You
Medley: The Very Thought Of You/Stormy Weather/Let's Fall In Love
East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
Medley: It's A Wonderful World/Believing/Shake Down The Stars
Deep Night
(At Least A) Little In Love
A Lover Is Blue
Medley: Out Of Nowhere/How Deep Is The Ocean/These Foolish Things
Medley: My Silent Love/I'll See You In My Dreams/After You' ve Gone
I Tried
Medley: I'm In The Mood For Love/April In Paris/Say It Isn't So
Marie
I'll Take Tallulah

Amazon.com

Frank Sinatra had yet to escape the artistic shadow of Bing Crosby when he sang Crosby's self-mocking "Learn to Croon" as part of a 1940 Dorsey-band broadcast medley. (As for Our Gang's Alfalfa, who also essayed the tune, he never did escape.) Learn to Croon collects more Dorsey-Sinatra performances from the trove that produced its companion volume, It's All So New! Unburdened by that CD's load of amateur-song-contest submissions, Croon focuses instead on Sinatra-Dorsey-Jo Stafford "Memory Medleys" and some hot ensemble band work. A sweet, swinging, amusing look back at the days of Sinatra's very early stardom. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Learn To Croon.......2001-06-20

Keep in mind the credits on this CD before you buy: it is Sinatra AND Dorsey and, as such, the spotlight is not entirely on Sinatra.

As one reviewer has already pointed out (while missing the point), this is music from a big band whose fine singer went on to become a legend. But, at the time, it was the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Frank Sinatra; it was only decades later than people began calling it Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey.

That said, this is a fine release. Dorsey swang, though the Sinatra of the 1950s probably would have looked down his nose at some of the whitebread-honking solos on these tracks. Pre-war swing and cold-war swing are different animals.

Sinatra does his idol-and-nemesis El Bingo one better on "Learn To Croon" and plays his part well, but it's still hard to understand how the skinny Brooklyn crooner became the Chairman Of The Board and The Voice in later incarnations.

Good songs, great sound, fine notes........2000-11-21

While the Dorsey/Sinatra era is not everyone's favorite, this CD paints a fine, sentimental portrait of the time. Buddha records has done a fabulous job of remastering the material, there are virtually no clicks, pops or hiss that could be found on RCA's "The Song Is You" discs. The liner notes, by Will Friedwald, are as clear and detailed as you would expect from this knowledgeable author, and the songs themselves really send me. Sinatra sings with exceptional smoothness and sounds fresh and inspired, and there is lots of great instrumental interplay and some helping hands from the other band vocalists. The disc gives the impression of listening to a 1940's radio show, with spoken introductions and some audience applause added. Fun, inconsequential listening.

Two out of three sound clips utterly useless.......2000-06-01