Wigwammin'

Xylophonist and bandleader Red Norvo was nearing the end of his popular big-band period when these 23 tunes were recorded between May and September 1938. Most of the songs are sung either by the mellifluous Mildred Bailey or the somewhat sappy Terry Allen. Clarinet solos are by Hank D'Amico and the band's arrangements were written by saxophonist Frank Simeone or Eddie Sauter. This album matches up to some extent with two installments in Norvo's portion of the Classics Chronological Series; the difference lies in certain tracks which were issued by Classics as part of their Mildred Bailey retrospective. Either way, Norvo spent much of the late '30s leading a big band that often seemed to exist mainly as background for sweet or novelty vocals. By the end of 1939 he was ready for something new. His adventures during the '40s would leave much of his '30s big-band work sounding comparatively quaint and at times contrived.