Absolutely awsome. That’s about all you can say about this flabbergasting set put out by Columbia in the early 90?s. The five stars above reflect the love and care that went into every aspect of this set, from the presentation with it’s frosted portrait of Sinatra on the cover, to the different CD sleeves and labels which really give a sense of history to the set – to the music itself, which is priceless. Although the price is awesome – a whopping $250, but in my estimation, it’s worth every penny. This is pop music history in the making, with Sinatra acting as pop music’s custodian, and the culmination of every songwriter’s dream. During his Columbia period, Sinatra chose and recorded masterworks of all the great songwriters of the era, from Rodgers & Hammerstein to Jimmy Mercer; from stage, screen and anywhere else he heard a great tune. Sinatra had great taste in music – and until his audience unaccountably began to shrink, he took great care in the songs he chose. Oh, make no mistake – there are some true stinkers here as well: novelty numbers that he tried when it seemed he could catch an audience’s ear no other way – I mean, you’ve got to hear the reprehensible “Mama Will Bark” to believe it – but the vast majority of music here is pure American gold – the finest songs by the finest songwriters, arranged and recorded with all the love and care that Columbia could muster. This ain’t just a box set, it’s pure music – period.

Blackie & the Rodeo Kings are a band perfectly willing to wear their enthusiasm on their collective sleeve. The project that brought Stephen Fearing, Colin Linden, and Tom Wilson together and gave them their group name was a tribute to Canadian singer songwriter Willie P. Bennett, and they’ve never been hesitant to cover songwriters they look up to or bring in guest artists they admire. Rodeo Kings take this philosophy to heart on their 6th album, Kings and Queens, in which they tip their hats to some of their favorite female vocalists by bringing in a different woman to duet on each of these 14 tracks. The lineup of singers the Rodeo Kings have invited along is stellar,…

Celine Marie Claudette Dion, CC, OQ; born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian pop singer, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur. Born to a large family in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband Rene Angelil mortgaged his home to finance her first record. In 1990, she released the anglophone album Unison, establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English-speaking areas of the world.