Red Nichols, born May 8,1905, died in Las Vegas on june the 28th 1965, while playing at the Top Of The Mint Casino. His career covered forty years, during which time he must have made more records than almost anyone in the dance band world-unless it were Miff Mole who died in New York on April the 29th 1961. Not only did Miff play with almost all the big name bands and the NBC Symphony Orchestra, but also in Dixieland jam bands with Muggsy Spanier and in backing groups for the Empress of the Blues herself, Bessie Smith. Held in esteem during the years when they recorded the tracks on this disc, Red and Miff lived to have their work derided in print by those who considered it too “polite” and “finnicky” probably because it never gave the listener the awful feeling of wondering if either was going to make some unusual note, or work out some tricky phrase satisfactorily. The charge that their playing was predictable was valid enough-we could always predict with confidence that both could do what they attempted, and with professional accomplishment and ease.