Si Zentner basically inherited a phenomenon that
Jimmy Dorsey pioneered but didn't live long enough to exploit, the big-band jazz outfit as space age pop phenomenon. From the opening of this album, with the horns and brass and bass all divided between the speakers, one can hear how the original
A Thinking Man's Band LP would have cut across a few generations of listeners in all of its stereo glory, as
Zentner and company run through such 1940s (and earlier) standards as "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Volga Boatmen." The sounds are smooth and elegant without losing sight of the jazz component at the root of what the band was doing, all a bit dated in its time but perfectly respectable as music and thoroughly listenable 40 years later, with some inventive moments, such as the electric guitar and reed refrain, as well as the piano-driven break in "Bei Mir Bist du Schön." And the original album cover is so delightfully evocative of its cheerfully sexist era that it ought to be reprinted on postcards, book jackets, posters, and more.