Customer Reviews

Capitol Collector's Series

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Ray Anthony was an outstanding trumpeter. He played in the great Glenn Miller in his teens, prior to World War II (during which Glenn Miller died in a plane crash). After WWII, Anthony formed his own band which heavily copied the Glenn Miller sound, except that Anthony played a trumpet solo in every piece. Eventually, as the jazz and swing oriented big band fad faded, Anthony added strings to his orchestra and evolved to the very mellow and romantic -- and highly-danceable -- style presented on his Dream Dancing records. I've been a fan of Ray Anthony since I first heard his band during my college years in the 1950s. In my opinion his was the best of the post WW II big bands. This is a great collection from Anthony's big band period.

This is not the best album if you like the music of Ray Anthony - however it does cover quite a period of his career. He played with the Glenn Miller orchestra and eventually went on his own. The problem I have with this album is too many vocals. On the plus side, all but 1 selection is the origional mono. You'll find a song 'Marilyn' written for Marilyn Monroe also 'Melody of Love' with vocals by one Frank Sinatra. Overall not a bad album but there are better ones out there if you're into strictly instrumentals.

I expected more from this CD, maybe a sound like that of Harry James.
But this CD is not bad. Brings many good tracks, good music, and will please those who like soft music (that's where I fit).

The Capitol Collectors Series, presenting the highlights of some of their finest recordings artists, from Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, The Lettermen, and Dean Martin to Grand Funk Railroad, Raspberries, and Gene Vincent [and many more in between], almost never fails to deliver.

After working as a trumpeter with the Al Donohue, Glenn Miller, and Jimmy Dorsey orchestras from 1939 to 1942, Ray formed his own big band in 1946, and in 1949 began a long, successful association with Capitol that saw him, in addition to selling countless EPs and LPs, put 28 selections onto the Billboard Pop Top/Hot 100 singles charts and one more on the Adult Contemporary charts, that coming in 1966.

In this volume you get 16 of those hit singles along with nine pages of liner notes written by Robin Callot and Jerry Burling which present a complete discography of the contents. The hits range from his first [A Dreamer's Holiday - # 11 in late 1949] to his third-last in 1962, the haunting A Worried Mind [# 74].

The liner notes also include some candid shots of Ray with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Mamie Van Doren, The Bookends, and Joi Lansing, reproductions of several of his album covers, and a complete list of the CDs available in The Capitol Collectors Series.

There's also a shot of Ray with Jack Webb, taken during the filming of Pete Kelly's Blues, and if there's one lament about the compilation, it's the omission of that title song which was a # 28 "Coming Yp Fast" hit for Ray in 1955. It seems you cannot find that rendition ANYWHERE today.

Even so, this CD is highly recommended for anyone who was a fan of Ray's, or who simply wishes to experience the offerings of one of the few 1940's big bands to endure right into the Rockin' 50s and beyond.

25 Aug, 2007
I can hardly lay claim to the title of "Music Critic".
All I know is what I like.
I like the music on this album.
W.F. Sullivan