Customer Reviews

The Best of Tex Beneke

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Two years after Glenn Miller disappeared over the English Channel while en route to Paris on December 15, 1944, vocalist/saxophonist Tex Beneke gathered together as many of the original band members as possible and began recording again with their old label, RCA Victor.

From 1946 to 1949 he would add another 17 hit singles to the 128 registered by Glenn from 1935 to 1944, the first four under the billing Tex Beneke & The Glenn Miller Orchestra, then nine under the billing Tex Beneke & The Miller Orchestra, and finally four more as Tex Beneke & His Orchestra. And they are ALL here in this wonderful album from Collector's Choice (only tracks 9, 15, and 19 were not hits, two of them failed singles and one LP cut).

In addition, you get three pages of background notes written by Joseph F. Laredo, two more nice shots of Tex, and a complete discography on the 20 tracks, including vocalists, label details, and chart performances. And the sound reproduction is magnificent. They just don't get any better than this.

Great big band swing music. Will bring back wonderful memories to folks from the 40's era. A must for students of swing music of the music of one of the outstanding band leaders of that time.

Not nearly enough of Tex's unique vocal stylings are the major drawback of this album. The arrangements and other vocalists are fine, but I missed Tex's smooth voice.