The Andrews Sisters - With the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Vol. 1

All Music Guide

One should be forewarned that the packaging of this release is slightly misleading, since the Andrews Sisters appear on only ten of the 16 numbers here. On the other hand, since the Miller band is heard performing numbers that were at the core of their repertory ("In the Mood," "One O'Clock Jump"), with Ray Eberle singing "Indian Summer" and Marion Hutton cooking on "The Rhumba Jumps," listeners can hardly complain. The trio sings "Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh," "I've Got No Strings" (from the then-new movie Pinocchio), "Tuxedo Junction," and familiar hits including "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon," "Beer Barrel Polka," "Chico's Love Song," and "Hold Tight." The version of "Begin the Beguine" is sung with more fervor here than on the record (and also a degree of warmth that makes it well worth checking out), and the "Beer Barrel Polka" swings here in a way the record only hints at. Their portion of the disc ends with the delightful and clever "Yodelin' Jive." Jay Newland's engineering on these recordings is to be commended for raising the sound quality to 1990s standards, and the notes by John Snyder and Edward F. Polic are a delightfully informative body of writing.

- Bruce Eder, All Music Guide