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Like a number of Christmas records from the kings of croon (c.f. Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis), Frank Sinatra's holiday offerings were unexpectedly stiff and lifeless. Granted, the Chairman Of The Board could turn the Yonkers phone book into sheer aural poetry, but A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra was cut at the absolute height of his powers - right after A Swingin' Affair, as a matter-of-fact. We have a right to expect more! If Frank had applied his inimitable, world weary bravado to this seasonal subject matter, we would have had one for the ages. Instead, he sits on his haunches like the frightened, former alter boy he probably was, and we end up with merely an impeccably sung canon of carols.

All the same, Capitol's CD reissue of Jolly Christmas - a 1957 release, and Frank's first formal Christmas album - is the best choice among a confusingly large number of holiday discs from the Chairman of the Board. In fact, Capitol has reissued the original album numerous times. The original 1990 reissue had some great bonus tracks, and the 1999 version has better mastering (and the same bonus tracks). Since then, Capitol has reissued it twice again - in 2005 with a partially redeigned cover (pictured), and in 2007 to commemorate the album's 50th anniversary (this time appending a Christmas radio message from Frank to the earlier bonus tracks).

Regardless, the singular highlight of Jolly Christmas isn't one its original tracks, but one of the bonus tracks - Sinatra's 1954 debut recording of Jules Styne and Sammy Cahn's immortal "Christmas Waltz." That winsome song (and Nelson Riddle's lush production) allows Frank to take the Christ out of Christmas - and inject some romance. It's no "Night & Day" or "You Make Me Feel So Young," but it's a damn sight better than Sinatra's stiff rendering of songs like "The First Noel" or "Adeste Fideles."

First runner-up in the Sinatra sweepstakes is undoubtedly Songs Of Christmas (reissued as Christmas Dreaming) which collects 1940's sides Frank cut for Columbia Records after he broke loose from the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. During those halycon days, Sinatra had yet to find the cool, worldly muse that would inspire his greatest work - but his soaring, youthful voice was a wonder to behold!

Running a close second, however, is The Sinatra Christmas Album, which culls smooth recordings for Reprise from the 60's and 70's, including his 1969 LP, The Sinatra Family Wish You Merry Christmas, recorded with his children Nancy, Tina, and Frank Jr. The material from The Sinatra Christmas Album was expanded, remastered, and repackaged in 2004 as The Christmas Collection - very nice. [top of page]

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