Neal Hefti is known for the tremendous number of originals that he composed and arranged for Count Basie and Woody Herman.
But his output as a bandleader is rather uneven, especially this ill-advised big-band date that adds four male and four female singers.
None of the lyrics contributed by Steve Allen or Jon Hendricks is particularly memorable, and the vocals are, at best, nondescript and transform the would-be jazz session into pop.
The remaining numbers feature scat singing by the octet with the band.
One strength of the record is the presence of outstanding players like trombonist Frank Rehak, trumpeter Ernie Royal, tenor saxophonist Al Cohn, and especially alto saxophonist Phil Woods, who is instantly recognizable.
But even the presence of these greats can't overcome the presence of the bland, unnecessary singers.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiss Me First | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 02:42 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 2 | Chug-a-Lug | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 02:46 | 6 MB | 17 MB |
| 3 | Oh, What a Night for Love | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 03:10 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 4 | Cherry Point | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 02:53 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 5 | Two for the Blues | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 02:46 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 6 | Li'l Darlin' | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 03:10 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 7 | Ready Rudy | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 02:49 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 8 | Buttercup | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 02:33 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 9 | After Supper | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 02:56 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 10 | Coral Reef | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 03:11 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 11 | Splanky | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 02:52 | 6 MB | 17 MB |
| 12 | Cool Blue | Neal Hefti and His Orchestra, The Neal Hefti Singers | Play | 02:20 | 5 MB | 13 MB |
| 34 mins | 78 MB | |||||
| 34 mins | 211 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy Byers | Trombone |
| 2 | Al Cohn | Sax (Tenor) |
| 3 | Mel Davis | Trumpet |
| 4 | George Duvivier | Bass |
| 5 | Barry Galbraith | Guitar |
| 6 | Sol Gubin | Drums |
| 7 | Neal Hefti | Arranger, Conductor, Primary Artist |
| 8 | Milt Hinton | Bass |
| 9 | Charlie Persip | Drums |
| 10 | Seldon Powell | Sax (Tenor) |
| 11 | Frank Rehak | Trombone |
| 12 | Jerome Richardson | Sax (Alto) |
| 13 | Ernie Royal | Trumpet |
| 14 | Sonny Russon | Trombone |
| 15 | Lou Stein | Piano |
| 16 | Joe Wilder | Trumpet |
| 17 | Phil Woods | Sax (Alto) |
Neal Hefti and His Orchestra
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |