Born Jervis Wald in Newark, NJ, clarinetist Jerry Wald (not to be confused with the movie executive of the same name) was an unabashed admirer of Artie Shaw. He led a good but ordinary aggregation toward the end of the heyday of the big-band era. Wald had several excellent big-band players working for him during the period covered by this album as well as later in the band's career. They included an all-star rhythm section of Al Haig, Arnold Fishkin, and Jimmy Raney; former Shaw band members Bernie Privin, Sid Weiss, and Les Robinson; and arranger Ray Conniff. Top-flight arranger Manny Albam was also on board. But perhaps the most notable musician to work for Wald was a young Bill Evans who appeared on a Kapp label LP, Listen to the Music of Jerry Wald. Despite the fact that the band was well received wherever they played, it never caught on big because Wald could not shake the comparison with Shaw. And while he resented the likeness, he did little to discourage it. Even his theme "Call of the Wild" sounded like Shaw's "Nightmare," which is on this album. While there are several good up-tempo pieces on this set, it is likely to be of interest only to big-band swing completists. Wald died in Las Vegas, NV, in 1973.