Hal McIntyre was a saxophonist and bandleader, who was a founder member of the famous Glenn Miller orchestra, but launched his own orchestra in 1941 and had a string of hits through the 1940s until the big band era suffered a decline. He combined swinging instrumental jazz with middle-of-the road ballads and novelty material featuring vocalists who included Carl Denny, Ruth Gaylor, Frankie Lester, Nancy Reed and others. This 47-track 2-CD set comprises selected A & B sides from his releases on the Victor, Bluebird, Cosmo and MGM labels during these years. It features all his career chart successes, including the Top 10 hits “Sentimental Journey”, “I’ll Buy That Dream” and “The Gypsy” and the Top 20 entries “I’m Making Believe”, “Cement Mixer (Put-Ti-Put-Ti)” and “There’s No-One But You”. McIntyre himself is featured on some notable instrumentals which firmly underline both his and his orchestra’s jazz credentials. Overshadowed as he was by the big names of the swing era in whose footsteps he trod, he is perhaps less well-known than he might have been, but he made an entertaining contribution to the pop scene of the 1940s and this is an enjoyable showcase for his music.
