My Reverie

I was very sad to hear that Alvino Rey has died. He was a superb bandleader, and made several incredible records, as well as playing on those of others, such as Esquivel. Lots of the work he is most admired for now is in what is now referred to as the ‘space age pop’ style: brassy, percussive, jerky pop music from the dawn of stereo. His (1961 or 1962?) Best of Alvino Rey on Dot is a superb album in this style, giving real longevity to arrangements that would otherwise be gimmicky and transient. However, the pick of his work for me is My Reverie on Decca, a stunning session of standards from the late 50s with haunting vocal work by the Jordanaires. It also has a superb cover, which I posted here a few weeks ago.