Trumpeter Clark Terry legitimized the flugelhorn as a front-line instrument in jazz. Possessing a golden-warm, crystal-pure sound and prodigious technique, he worked with the Ellington and Basie Bands as well as most of the major players of the last 50 years, participating in over 900 recordings. Terry was also an important mentor to the likes of the young Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, and Quincy Jones. In 2010 he received a Grammy for life-time achievement. This amazing album has Terry backed by a 50-piece orchestra featuring the cream of London’s session musicians, including 28 strings. The album contains 12 classic ballads. For instance: Nature Boy with its richly woven orchestral tapestry of lush, dark harmonies, and Willow Weep For Me with the brassy-blue big band sound backing Terry’s wide-ranging solo, the flowing warmth and depth of November Song, the melancholy of Yesterdays, and the foreboding of Angel Eyes, transformed into an easy double-time swing punctuated by a lush horn and string arrangement before Terry returns with a somber statement of love lost. It’s a great album for late-night romancing, or simply lay back in your armchair and enjoy the artistry of one of the most coherent, beautiful sounding players jazz has to offer.