Tony Pastor was best known as a warm toned tenor saxist and hep jived vocalist for Artie Shaw’s famous orchestra, striking it rich on “Indian Love Call” way back in 1938. Pastor formed his own big band after Shaw walked away from musical fame and fortune, and carved out an impressive career mixing swing and pop for over ten years. This three disc, 73 song collection shows that jazz and swing could become popular if mixed the right way.
Pastor’s vocal delivery was (like Woody Herman) custom made for fun novelty tunes which were de rigueur for the era, with pieces like “Dance With A Dolly (With A Hole In Her Stocking)” or “Paraddidle Joe” mixing clever charts and lyrics. His raspy voice is superb for a humorous read of “Let’s Do It” while he used Bob Eberle-toned Dorsey Anderson for the more serious pieces like “Maria Elena” or the romantic John McAfee on “Hurry Back to Sorrento”. For the canaries, Kay Foster coos on “It Never Entered My Mind”, but Pastor struck gold when he discovered The Clooney Sisters, who add zest to “There’s A Man Next Door” and the even better with Rosemarie out in front for the Gaellic “My O’Darlin’ My Lovely, My O’Brien” and the haunting “You Started Something” and “Grieving For You.” Pastor made jazz fun and accessible. Is anyone listening?