A 20-song collection, drawn from BMG's archives and beautifully transferred, dating between March of 1946 and August of 1949. The sound is similar to that of the classic Glenn Miller Orchestra, but the range of material is much wider. In addition to novelty numbers such as "The Woodchuck Song," and the band performs very credible R&B with its version of Lionel Hampton's "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop," and makes stunning use of the string section (present up through 1948) on numbers like "I Know" and "Star Dust" (the latter is a rare four-minute outtake previously available only on an obscure Camden Records reissue). In addition to Beneke (who also takes a lot of the sax solos), the vocalists include Artie Malvin, Lillian Lane, Garry Stevens, and Glenn Douglas, backed by the vocal ensemble the Crew Chiefs and later the Mello Larks. The sound is rich and crisp. ~ Bruce Eder