We’re not supposed to have favorites in the office, but no one can deny this is everyone’s favorite big band collection from Reader’s Digest Music. Some say it’s the lineup of all-star talent – all the great band conductors like Artie Shaw, Harry James, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman, and Glenn Miller. Others claim it’s the sequencing of tracks. Still others insist it’s the outstanding vocalist.

Whatever the reason, yes, okay we admit it; this is our favorite collection of big band music.

CONDITION: Gently Used
CDs are in near new condition. Jewel case shows a bit of scruff. (see scans)
Listener’s Guide has been thumbed through, but is in good condition

In this massive 84-track, 4 CD set, Reader’s Digest has compiled the best of 72 swing bands whose work spans three decades, from the ‘30s through the ‘50s. Remastered from original source recordings, the sound quality is impeccable given the age of the music.

It’s all here. Romantic rhythms, toe-tapping good-time tunes, and sentimental melodies, most of which you will recognize once you hear them. Check out the tracklist below and see if you don’t agree, this is the one big band collection to savor again and again.

Comes with a detailed 48-page listener’s guide with notes on each song and performer.

Highly recommended, simply an astounding collection.

The Best-Loved Bands Of All Time
4 CDs – 84 tracks
Reader's Digest Music - 1997

CD 1
01 Begin The Beguine - Artie Shaw
02 Music, Maestro, Please - Tommy Dorsey
03 I'm Beginning To See The Light - Harry James
04 In The Mood - Glenn Miller
05 Blues In The Night - Woody Herman
06 Till The End Of Time - Les Brown
07 Ballerina - Vaughn Monroe
08 Serenade Of The Bells - Swing and Sway
09 Tangerine - Jimmy Dorsey
10 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes -Paul Whiteman
11 Maria Elena - Wayne King
12 I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams - Russ Morgan
13 A Sunday Kind Of Love - Claude Thornhill
14 I've Got You Under My Skin - Ray Noble
15 Boo-Hoo! - Guy Lombardo
16 Managua, Nicaragua - Freddy Martin
17 I'm In The Mood For Love - Louis Armstrong
18 Baby Face - Jan Garber
19 I Don't Want To Set The World O - Horace Heidt
20 Sweet Georgia Brown - Ben Bernie
21 These Foolish Things Remind Me - Benny Goodman

CD 2
01 Lullaby Of Broadway - Dorsey Brothers
02 Let's Fall In Love - Eddy Duchin
03 There's A Small Hotel - Vincen Lopez
04 If I Had A Girl Like You - Rudy Vallee
05 Walkin' My Baby Back Home - Ted Weems
06 Soft Lights And Sweet Music - Fred Waring
07 Beyond The Blue Horizon - George Olsen
08 Deep Purple - Larry Clinton
09 Don't Worry `Bout Me - Hal Kemp
10 I Can't Get Started - Bunny Berigan
11 Whispers In The Dark - Bob Crosby
12 South Of The Border - Shep Fields
13 Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing)- Fletcher Henderson
14 At Long Last Love - Ozzie Nelson
15 Good Morning - Abe Lyman
16 Dancing With Tears In My Eyes - Nat Shilkret
17 Three Little Fishies (Itty Bitt) - Kay Kyser
18 When I Grow Too Old To Dream - Glen Gray
19 With A Song In My Heart - Leo Reisman
20 Moonglow - Cab Calloway
21 With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dream - Isham Jones

CD 3
01 Make Believe Ballroom - Charlie Barnet
02 Flying Home - Lionel Hampton
03 Again - Gordon Jenkins
04 Chopin's Polonaise - Carmen Cavallaro
05 They Say - Artie Shaw
06 Now Is The Hour (Maori Farewell- Eddy Howard
07 Peg O' My Heart - Ted Weems
08 (I Love You) For Sentimental Re - Charlie Spivak
09 (Ghost) Riders In The Sky - Vaughn Monroe
10 You Were Only Fooling - Blue Barron
11 Perfidia - Xavie Cugat
12 It Might As Well Be Spring - Sammy Kaye
13 Jukebox Saturday Night - Glenn Miller
14 So Tired - Russ Morgan
15 Symphony - Freddy Martin
16 It's Love, Love, Love! - Guy Lombardo
17 Blue Flame - Woody Herman
18 One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie
19 Bluebird Of Happiness - Art Mooney
20 All The Things You Are - Tommy Dorsey
21 I Hear A Rhapsody - Jimmy Dorsey

CD 4
01 So Rare - Jimmy Dorsey
02 The Tea For Two Cha-Cha - Warren Covington
03 The Song From Moulin Rouge - Percy Faith
04 Satin Doll - Duke Ellington
05 Blue Tango - Hugo Winterhalter
06 September Song - Stan Kenton
07 Lisbon Antigua - nelson Riddle
08 Unchained Melody - Les Baxter
09 Ruby - Richard Hayman
10 Mona Lisa - Victor Young
11 Sail Along, Silv'ry Moon - Billy Vaughn
12 Harbour Lights - Ralph Flanagan
13 Theme From Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini
14 Melancholy Serenade - Jackie Gleason
15 The Syncopated Clock - Arthur Fiedler
16 At Last - Ray Anthony
17 Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom - Perez Prado
18 Charmaine - Billy May
19 Tonight You Belong To Me - Lawrence Welk
20 Sweet And Lovely - Claude Thornhill
21 The Musicians - Henri Rene

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