The Post-War Era by Tommy Dorsey (CD, Mar-1993, RCA Records USA)

The Post-War Era is an enjoyable CD of recordings by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. There are twenty-two tracks, three of which were not previously issued and five of which are only available on CD. The songs are thus not what you'll hear on other CDs, which is refreshing.

TD plays "The Song Is You," "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?" "The Continental," "Summertime," and "I Get A Kick Out Of You," but there are also many less familiar yet very good songs. I especially like "Hollywood Hat," "Bingo, Bango, Boffo," and "Trombonology." The sound quality is generally good but varies from track to track, the unavoidable result of the original sources' quality.

Arrangements are primarily by Bill Finegan, and the band is quite skilled. The post-war sound is somewhat different from the earlier Swing Era sound, but if you like big band music, you'll enjoy this CD, which includes interesting liner notes. Fans of jazz and, of course, TD will also be pleased by this Tommy Dorsey CD.