Ray Anthony's
Dream Dancing was the first of several so-called "dream dancing" albums he made. It was one of his most popular albums, providing sweet, romantic big band music for slow dancing and easy listening, and inspired a slew of imitators. The muted arrangements overlaid with
Anthony's melodic trumpet lines create a dreamy effect not unlike
Bert Kaempfert's "Stranger on the Shore," mesmerizing listeners into a slow-dancing trance. This is mood music in the best sense of the term, and
Anthony is so effective at his art that he makes one regret that the popularity of formal dancing has suffered such a decline. The album More Dream Dancing followed in 1959.