Christmas Holiday For Romance

It's fair to say that Stanley Black is to Britain what Glenn Miller is to America. Both cemented their fame while leading government-backed bands during World War II, Black with the BBC Dance Orchestra, Miller with the Army Air Forces Band, and both command an outsized reputation today among each country's populace. But while Miller, of course, tragically lost his life flying across the English Channel in December 1944, Black's career just continued to blossom after the war; he appeared on over 4000 broadcasts for the Beeb before being appointed house arranger/ conductor for the venerable Decca label, where he spent 20-some odd years. During that time--between composing music for The Goon Show and the Cliff Richard film vehicles The Young Ones and Summer Holiday among other high-profile projects--he released a series of well-received albums for Decca (and here in the States, London), including such titles as Musical Comedy Favourites, Latin Rhythms, Cuban Moonlight, and The Music of Richard Rodgers. But 1954's Christmas Holiday for Romance just may be the most beloved among all of Black's many releases; his elegant, lush, and tasteful arrangements (sans vocals) guaranteed, as the original liner notes put it, "many pleasant hours of relaxed listening." It's an eclectic mix of British and American songs, with a smattering of non-holiday tunes (e.g. "Cinderella [Stay in My Arms]") that fit right in with the album's warm glow. This is Black's only Christmas album, and it makes its CD debut here, with liner notes by Joe Marchese and remastering by Mike Milchner at SonicVision, and it comes with impeccable credentials, coming in at #30 on theyulelog.com's list of top Christmas albums of all time.