, whose early trademark mix of and -inflected still sounds alive and vital some seventy years later, was arguably at his best when the vocalist was paired with veteran pianist . This set features the / team on their first big hit, 1938's and the fully realized that came a year later and featured trumpeter . There are some small combo tracks here as well, and all of it is quite good, but 's most memorable years came in the '50s while he was signed to . His signature came out in 1954, and it remains the track that will forever be attached to his name. That the song, along with his other '50s hits, is absent here means this compilation, while all good and fine, only tells the very beginning of the story. ~ Steve Leggett