This set is a dream reissue for collectors - the whole of the Henry Allen New York Orchestra’s recordings made for Victor between 1929 and 1930, as well as sessions where the Allen band supported singers Victoria and ‘Sweet Peas’ Spivey. Also included are four titles by the Luis Russell Orchestra, comprising largely the same musicians. The sidemen featured here were handpicked by Allen and Russell and are generally regarded as among the finest of their era. Long before Ellington and Basie, this is where swing really started.