Description
The most famous of the piano showmen, Eddy Duchin began his career in 1928 with Leo Reisman's orchestra at New York's Central Park Casino, the most elegant society nightspot in the city. In 1931 he took over Reisman's place as leader at the Casino. His 10-piece orchestra played seven nights a week to packed houses.
Regular radio broadcasts from the Casino helped spread Duchin's popularity across the USA. His orchestra began to tour and appear on popular radio programmes until World War II. After the war, Duchin formed a new orchestra, considered by many critics to be his most musical. In the late '40s, however, he was forced to cut back on activities as his leukemia began to worsen. He died in 1951.
Here are 50 of his most popular recordings, meticulously compiled and annotated by Geoff Milne with an informative 12 page booklet.