My Reverie - Alvino Rey

Flamingo

My Reverie
Alvino Rey And His Orchestra
Electric Guitar Solos With Orchestra
And The Jud Conlon Rhythmaires
Decca Records DL 8403
1957

Rey's restrained approach on the guitar is softer, more minimal, in nature than heard on most period "Hawaiian" sets.  His "mood" arrangements create a balanced, relaxing blend of guitar, chorus and orchestra.

From the back cover: It is an amusing fact that the proud possessor of a gold cup awarded by the American Guild Of Guitarists, made his profession debut as a banjoist. Moreover, Alvino Rey's first interest in the guitar was technical and purely mechanical. At ten, he was one of the youngest "ham" radio operators in the U.S.A., and at twelve, his dabbling with electricity and his passion for acoustics united to produce an amplified guitar. After he had enlarged the scope of the instrument he felt he ought to learn to play it. It was not long before he discovered he had manual dexterity as well as mental ingenuity.

As already indicated, Alvino began as a banjo player; he replaced Eddie Peabody in Phil Spitalny's band when it was an all-male aggregation. A few years later, he returned to his native California and was featured as guitar soloist and leader of the San Francisco's NBC staff band. Horace Heidt hear him in 1944 (pervious owner of this album marked out 1944 and wrote in "1934?") and lured him away to become a high-priced soloist with his organization.

So far, Alvino Rey's career had been fairly conventional. However, after joining Horace Heidt, Alvino fortunes took a new turn. He met the King Sisters, who vocalized with Heidt's band, married the eldest, formed his own band and starred the King Sisters. In less than a year his orchestra was one of the country's top ten.

During WWII, Alvino found himself in the Navy. To make up for lost time, he acted with phenomenal speed as soon as became a civilian again. Discharged from the Navy on Friday afternoon, Alvino was on the podium leading his band at eight o'clock the same night.

From Billboard - February 2, 1957: After a long absence, Rey makes his return to the disking fold with a package of mighty pretty mood music. Combination of the liquid electric guitar sounds with the voices of the Jud Conlon Rhythmaires makes for listening that's not only easy on the ears but might even spur some romantic action. Jocks will no doubt play it. Worth stocking, especially on the basis of the maiden and the rose on the cover.

My Reverie
It Could Happen To You
Flamingo
Don't Worry 'bout Me
Yesterdays
Moonlight In Vermont
Imagination
On A Little Street In Singapore
Moonlight Becomes You
Gond With The Wind
Midnight Sun
On Green Dolphin Street