Tuesday , March 19 2024
A new documentary tells Sinatra's story through archived interviews and commentary from friends and family; the new collection 'Ultimate Sinatra' is packed with key recordings from Sinatra's recording career.

HBO Documentary and ‘Ultimate Sinatra’ CD/LP Collection Mark 100th Birth Anniversary of Frank Sinatra

Ultimate SinatraFrank Sinatra would have turned 100 on December 12, 2015. Gearing up for the occasion, on April 5 and 6 HBO will debut its documentary Sinatra: All or Nothing at All, and on April 21 Capitol/UMe will release a collection entitled Ultimate Sinatra packed with key recordings from Sinatra’s recording career with the Columbia, Capitol, and Reprise labels.

This being the digital age, of course, the music release comes in multiple formats and packages:

  • A one-CD version with 25 songs
  • A digital-only version of the above available at iTunes, Amazon, and GooglePlay
  • A four-CD deluxe box set with over 100 songs and an 80-page booklet with a new essay by Sinatra historian Charles Pignone as well as photos and quotes from Sinatra, his children, and collaborators including Nelson Riddle, Quincy Jones, and Billy May
  • And for vinyl lovers, a 2-LP set

Ultimate Sinatra is available for pre-order now. While you’re waiting, you can tune in to the two-night, four-hour documentary, told in Sinatra’s own words (from archived interviews) with commentary from people close to him. Director Alex Gibney, who helmed HBO’s Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown, uses Sinatra’s song choices from his 1971 “Retirement Concert” in Los Angeles to shape the narrative. Family members, archivists, and the Frank Sinatra Estate all participated in this intimate look at the life and career of the global sensation.

Finally (no surprise), there’s a Frank Sinatra 100 app to update fans on centennial activities, available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and Android tablets.

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About Jon Sobel

Jon Sobel is Publisher and Executive Editor of Blogcritics as well as lead editor of the Culture & Society section. As a writer he contributes most often to Music, where he covers classical music (old and new) and other genres, and Culture, where he reviews NYC theater. Through Oren Hope Marketing and Copywriting at http://www.orenhope.com/ you can hire him to write or edit whatever marketing or journalistic materials your heart desires. Jon also writes the blog Park Odyssey at http://parkodyssey.blogspot.com/ where he is on a mission to visit every park in New York City. He has also been a part-time working musician, including as lead singer, songwriter, and bass player for Whisperado.

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