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CD Review

The Golden Age of Light Music

Great American Light Orchestras

• Bernie Wayne: Tropicana - Monty Kelly & His Orchestra
• Charles Trenet: La Mer - MGM Studio Orchestra/Macklin Marrow
• David Carroll: Tradewinds - David Carroll & His Orchestra
• David Raksin: The Bad and the Beautiful - David Rose & His Orchestra
• David Rose: Satan and the Polar Bear - David Rose & His Orchestra
• Duke Ellington: Sophisticated Lady (arr. Gould) - Morton Gould & His Orchestra
• Ernesto Lecuona: Andalucia (arr. Gould) - Robin Hood Dell Orchestra/Morton Gould
• Eugene Ford: Rain - Paul Weston & His Orchestra
• Jaffe/Fulton/Bronx: If You are but a Dream - Frank De Volume & His Orchestra
• Jerome Kern: Smoke gets in your Eyes - Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra
• Leroy Anderson: Fiddle Faddle - Leroy Anderson & His "Pops" Concert Orchestra
• Lou Singer: Tic-Tac-Toe - Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra
• Louis Alter:
• Manhattan Masquerade - Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra
• Manhattan Serenade - André Kostelanetz & His Orchestra
• Meredith Willson: Marguerite Waltz - Meredith Willson & His Orchestra
• Nicolas Acquaviva: The Cavalier's Ball - Acquaviva & His Orchestra
• Paul Jeanjean: Dance of the Violins - MGM Studio Orchestra/Macklin Marrow
• Percy Faith: Brazilian Sleigh Bells - Percy Faith & His Orchestra
• Ray Martin: Blue Violins - Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra
• Richard Hayman:
• Carriage Trade - Richard Hayman & His Orchestra
• No Strings Attached - Richard Hayman & His Orchestra
• Richard Rodgers: No other Love - Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra
• Robledo/Terriiss: Three o'clock in the Morning - Monty Kelly & His Orchestra
• Roman/Giordano/Godfrey: Anna - Victor Young & His Orchestra
• Terig Tucci: Holiday in Rio - Acquaviva & His Orchestra
• Victor Herbert: Toyland Waltz - Harry Horlick & His Orchestra

Guild Light Music GLCD5105 78 :04 ADD

This is the fifth volume in Guild's growing Light Music series that is dedicated to the immense tradition of the American Light Orchestra. There is a veritable treasure trove of recordings here with the main contenders being David Rose, Leroy Anderson, Percy Faith and the inimitable André Kostelanetz apart from several others who flew the flag for the genre throughout the United States.

I enjoyed this disc immensely from first note to last and with the fastidiously detailed notes by the indefatigable David Ades, the experience was an even more complete one. Morton Gould's arrangement of Duke Ellington's 'Sophisticated Lady' was particularly effusive whilst the jaunty sounds of Kostelanetz's 'Manhattan Serenade' and Monty Kelly's 'Tropicana' certainly put me into a dancing mood. However it would be unfair to single out particular recordings for special praise as all are very much magical and quite ravishingly excellent. Acquaviva, Harry Horlick, David Carroll and Richard Hayman are also well represented here.

Guild's Light Music series is shaping up quite well and one hopes for the classic recordings from Haydn Wood, Ernest Tomlinson, Robert Farnon, Charles Williams and other greats of this genre to have their own albums in this excellently produced series. Otherwise, another warm welcome for this collection; one that should go down extremely well with enthusiasts of the genre.

Copyright © 2004, Gerald Fenech