was perhaps the most forward thinking of the leaders of the 1930s and '40s, and while he was adept at generating material that fared well on the charts, he also cut edgy, spooky pieces like his signature that pushed against the grain, and running through everything he did was his wonderful clarinet playing, always smooth, explosive and inventive. This well-sequenced collection brings together tracks from his peak years with 's imprint, including 's hugely popular 1938 version of the near-perfect and the enticing is not here, however, and some of 's best-known tunes, like and are also absent, but this is intended as an upbeat sampler, with the rhythms never slowing past mid-bounce. Some of these selections, like feature string arrangements augmenting setup, a radical innovation at the time. Purposely skewed toward the upbeat dance side of 's repertoire, isn't an ideal introduction to , but it swings without mercy, and for listeners looking for a lively set for a jitterbug session, it's darn near perfect. ~ Steve Leggett