Ray Anthony

In January 2008, the Montpellier label brought out Dancing Under the Stars, an album of enjoyably dated big-band music drawing upon trumpeter and bandleader Ray Anthony's Capitol catalog from 1957; tracks one through 12 were recorded in April of that year, while tracks 13 through 24 originated during sessions that have no clearer dating information than "early 1957." With the release of Dancing Under the Stars, Montpellier almost succeeds in overshadowing Aerospace Records, formerly the world's prime source of vintage Ray Anthony reissues. Anthony learned the art of presenting pleasant, accessible dance music while serving in the trumpet sections of the Jimmy Dorsey and Glenn Miller orchestras. The recordings he made in early 1957, sometimes employing the services of a string section to sweeten the sound of the band, are perfectly executed essays in comforting, cozy, reassuring entertainment. Nicest moments occur during "Moonglow," "Moon Over Miami," "Moonlight Dreams," "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams," "Sleepy Lagoon," "Tara's Theme" (from the motion picture Gone with the Wind), and Eartha Kitt's big hit "C'est Si Bon," here sung by a cheeky unidentified female vocal group. Ideal music for a candle-lit pizza dinner with a 30 percent tip for the driver. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide