Claude Thornhill

Constantly underrated during their '40s prime -- though respected by jazz fans including Miles Davis -- the Claude Thornhill band paved the way for the softer-toned cool jazz of the '50s with a set of arrangements (by Thornhill himself or Gil Evans). The Rare Columbia Recordings collects some of the orchestra's more obscure charts, though not the experimental titles that a Gil Evans fan would relish. After slotting a pair of early chart favorites ("Harbor Lights," "Ebb Tide"), the compilers include Thornhill versions of several novelties made famous by other leaders -- "(Ting-a-Ling) The Bad Humor Man" from Kay Kyser, "Orange Blossom Lane" from Glenn Miller, "If You Were the Only Girl in the World" from Perry Como, "Rose O'Day (The Filla-Ga-Dusha Song)" from Kate Smith. Other selections fare better, usually soft-toned standards such as "Night and Day," "Something to Remember You By," or "Yours Is My Heart Alone." ~ John Bush, All Music Guide