Sweet bandleader and honeyed saxophonist
Freddy Martin combined elements of big-band jazz and dance music with a small string section. He was more consistently successful with this formula than others who tried it heavy-handedly, pouring on too much sugar.
Martin mostly managed to maintain a fascinating equilibrium between the violins and the rest of the ensemble. This is dramatically demonstrated during the instrumental chorus halfway through "The Hut Sut Song." He also established a precedent for mood music by tapping into the work of 19th and early-20th century Russian classical composers, represented here by
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky,
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov,
Aram Khachaturian, and
Sergei Prokofiev. This Living Era compilation presents 25 of
Martin's most popular recordings. While some of these performances might seem excessively confectionary, there's no denying the creative artistry of
Freddy Martin.