We went a bit overboard years ago when we wrote, “I don’t think you can find a better sounding big band record on the planet.”

Well, we’ve heard plenty of amazing big band albums in the Hot Stamper shootouts we’ve carried out over the course of the last ten or fifteen years, albums by the likes of Basie, Ellington, Shorty Rogers, Ted Heath and others.

Not to mention the fact that the shockingly good Sauter-Finegan track “Song of the Volga Boatman” from the LP “Memories Of Goodman and Miller” is played regularly around these parts for cartridge setup and tuning, as well as general tweaking.

But that should take nothing away from this superb recording, made at the famously good sounding Capitol Records Studio A, with none other than Wally Heider doing the mix and Ken Perry manning the lathe.

We also noted that, “It absolutely murders all the Sheffield big band records, which sound like they were made by old tired men sorely in need of their naps. Way past their prime anyway.” Which is mostly true.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra heard here was an actively touring band. They know this material inside and out, they clearly love it, and they’re used to playing the hell out of it practically every night.

If you like the tunes that Glenn Miller made famous — String of Pearls, In The Mood, Tuxedo Junction — you will have a very hard time finding them performed with more gusto, or recorded with anything approaching this level of fidelity.

TRACK LISTING

Side One

Here We Go Again
String of Pearls 
Rhapsody In Blue 
I got Rhythm 
American Patrol

Side Two

Jersey Bounce
Moonlight Serenade
Tuxedo Junction
Stardust
In The Mood