Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours (1955)

I've been a Sinatra fan since my early teens, and this album of ballads, one of the crowning achievements of his early career, has been a long-time favourite. The man sure knew how to get into a song; he makes exquisite art of all the 16 numbers here, including ultimate torch pieces like 'What is This Thing Called Love', 'When Your Lover Has Gone', 'I'll Never Be the Same' and 'It Never Entered My Mind'.

Perfect for late-night or "wee hours" listening, the set offers compelling testimony not only to Sinatra's standing as one of the greatest and most rivetingly emotive singers of all time, but also to his stature as a formidable interpretive master in the front rank of American popular music's pantheon of torch-bearers.