Charlie Spivak was a trumpeter and bandleader of Ukrainian heritage, who played with a string of well-known bands during the 1920s and ‘30s, including those of Paul Specht, Ben Pollack, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Ray Noble and Glenn Miller. He spent 1936 and 1937 mostly working as a studio musician with Miller, Gus Arnheim,  Raymond Scott’s radio orchestra, and others, followed by periods with Bob Crosby, Tommy Dorsey, and Jack Teagarden. Known as “The Man Who Plays The Sweetest Trumpet In The World”, it was with Miller’s backing that he started his own orchestra in 1939, playing powerful lead melody parts. With roots firmly in jazz, Spivak’s experience playing with those leading lights mentioned had little effect on his own band’s style, which was straight dance music, made up mainly of ballads and popular tunes from Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley, with many hits performed by his noted featured vocalists.

This 74-track set comprises selected releases during this era on the Okeh, Columbia and London labels. It features all his 19 career chart entries under his own name, including the Top 5 hits My Devotion, It’s Been A Long, Long Time, Oh! What It Seemed To Be, (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons and Linda – other Top 10 successes were This Is No Laughing Matter, I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen and There Must Be A Way. Among his featured vocalists were Garry Stevens, Irene Day, Tommy Mercer, Jimmy Saunders, Rusty Nichols, Tommy Lynn  and The Stardusters. This collection offers a substantial showcase for his music, based around his distinctive trumpet sound, and a feast of characteristic swing era pop.

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