Soundance Mood

This is one of George Howard's more complex and varied works. The opening cut "Within Your Eyes" is dreamy. "Still In Love" has a soft sweet side. "Smooth" is on the funkier side and cool. "Africa" is a tribute to a rich heritage. Not one version but two unique versions of this song are included. George Howard in his later works was an artist who could mix a variety of sounds and moods in one cd. He left us with many sides of his artistry and this is a fine example.

Jazz pianist Beegie Adair's series of "romantic songs" songbook albums, devoted to the major songwriters of the interwar era (there are also titles for George Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, and Richard Rodgers), tend to have photographs of affectionate couples on the covers, as does this one, featuring the music of Duke Ellington. That's a signal that the recordings are intended to accompany the listeners on their own romantic adventures, as much as express the feelings of the songwriters.

This CD may be scoffed at by serious jazz listeners, and even by big-band devotees wary of modern "ghost band" performances, but the fact is that it sold over 100,000 pieces when it first appeared in 1983, and its CD version was among the very earliest compact discs ever released commercially in the United States (indeed, so early that the actual CDs had to be imported from Japan). The second-ever release by GRP Records, it put the label on the map, and it also stood as testimony to how good those original arrangements of the Glenn Miller Orchestra were. So how is it as music?

Harry Ray, Al Goodman and Billy Brown previously recorded as The Moments, their Stateside hits including “Love On A Two-Way Street”, Sexy Mama” and “Look At Me”. Here in the UK they made Top 10 in the national charts with “Girls” and “Dolly My Love” while the soul scene still spin their 1976 single “Nine Times”, another record for Sylvia Robinson’s Stang label before the group’s name transition to Ray, Goodman & Brown in 1978 for contractual reasons. The Moments had included prior members since forming in Washington in the 1960, but when Sylvia’s Sugarhill label was on a roll, Harry Ray would also record briefly as a solo artist, “Love Is A Game” being the song from that period he is best remembered for.

In the Christmas Mood features the Glenn Miller Orchestra performing a variety of holiday favorites. Featured performances include "Sleigh Ride," "Silver Bells," "Jingle Bells," and "Frosty the Snowman," in addition to 19 others. Although recorded after the death of Glenn Miller himself, his orchestra does a great job of capturing the sound that made the band so famous as they make their way through many holiday classics. They turn them into wonderful swing arrangements that serve to both entertain fans of the genre and add holiday spirit to your home.