1. Theme: Moonlight Serenade
2. Gal in Calico
3. Among My Souvenirs
4. Jack Frost Get Lost
5. My Buddy
6. Can’t Help Loving That Man
7. There’s a Small Hotel
8. Ali Baba
9. The Man I Love
10. Hallelujah
11. Blue Skies
12. St Louis Blues March
13. Closing Theme
Tex
Beneke was a stalwart member of Glenn Miller’s
orchestra, both as tenor-saxophonist and vocalist,
from 1938 to 1942. After Miller’s death, Beneke
was chosen to lead the Miller orchestra and
later he formed his own band which played
very much in the Miller style. Glenn’s influence
is very clear in this collection of tracks
apparently recorded for radio broadcasts in
the late 1940s and here remastered with plenty
of atmosphere. The album opens and closes
with the inevitable Moonlight Serenade
and includes other Miller favourites like
the St Louis Blues March and My
Buddy (which has the trademark Miller
saxes). The orchestral style is closely modelled
on the Miller sound, with a generous addition
of lush strings.
Tex
Beneke is heavily featured on tenor-sax and
vocals, while Claire Chatwin sings on such
numbers as Little Jack Frost Get Lost
("You turned off the heat down in Lovers’
Lane"), which sounds as if it
has borrowed the opening bars from Let
It Snow, Let It Snow. Other featured soloists
include trumpeter Pete Condoli and drummer
Jack Sperling (both very impressive on Ali
Baba and Hallelujah). Many people
have the impression that Glenn Miller’s orchestra
was exclusively sweet and mellow but it could
also swing like mad – and so could Tex Beneke’s
ensemble.
Tony
Augarde
CD Reviews
Submarine DSOY 690 
