Two sides of Les Elgart - one glowing with the satiny dancing sound that has made hime gamous, the other sparkling with Latin beat! This exciting new collection presents the Elgart complement of three trumpets, three trombones, five saxes and rhythm in a dozen arrangements as modern as tomorrow. The Latin tempos add rhythmic spice to the mellow Elgart sound, and the interplay of ballads and swingers provides a perfect balance for your listening pleasure. Les Elgart got his first encouragement in music from his mother, an accomplished pianist.

At ten, Les joined the Drum and Bugle Corps of his school in New London, Conn., as a bugler. Later Les took up the bass fiddle, finally in his high school years decided on the trumpet. He played with school and local orchestras for a few years and became interested in arranging. Hoping to find a new sound, Les organized his first orchestra in 1945 with such budding stars as Manny Albam, Bill Finnegan and Nelson Riddle. The trend of the times was against them, and Les was forced to disband. But he kept experimenting, and in 1953 Columbia Records offered him the opportunity to organize another group to record a dance album. The result - "Sophisticated Swing" - was so successful that the group was kept together, bringing fame and fortune to Les and a delectable new dancing sound to the country.