Billy May - Sorta-May/Jimmie Lunceford in Hi Fi

Best remembered as the man who crafted spunky arrangements for Frank Sinatra, Billy May (1916-2004) developed his skills during the late 1930s and early '40s as trumpeter and arranger with the Charlie Barnet, Glenn Miller and Les Brown orchestras. During the 1950s, May churned out a series of spiffy big band records for Capitol where he served as staff arranger. Sorta-may, a very popular album from 1954, features one dozen well-loved melodies by great Tin Pan Alley composers including Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hart, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Rudolf Friml. Read More