Singer
Chris Connor and trumpeter
Maynard Ferguson first met up as members of
Stan Kenton's Orchestra in 1953. This CD reissue is a rather strange record because
Connor performs very dramatic material that often sounds as if it were lifted directly from Broadway shows. Although
Ferguson gets to throw in some high-register blasts now and then, his orchestra is mostly used as a prop behind
Connor. The singer does her best (her voice was in prime form around this time) but the flamboyant and often-pompous arrangements (which are uncredited) take away from any real spontaneity or swing. An odd set.