Here is another album of music for dancing, dreaming and listening that sails pleasantly along with a variety of tunes and tempos to suit every mood. Under the impeccable taste and guidance of Richard Maltby, the steadily swinging orchestra, the chorus and a guest shot by the Honey Dreamers contribute a session of lively rhythms and modern treatments. Even the chariots have become streamlined, as evidenced by the title tune, Swing Low. This once sad and sorrowful spiritual takes on a new look with a high-swinging Maltby arrangement essayed by the orchestra and chorus. Side One actually begins with a bit of magic, some Aladdin’s lamp maneuvering that produces a real gone jazz genie who presents rocking riffs at the command of Opus Pokus. Then the Honey Dreamers drop by for a rhythmic ballad that lingers on with the memory of what we call a “forever” love, simply because I’m Just A Dreaming Fool. But love returns in the penthouse-in-the-sky melody in three-quarter time, which swirls about in a light and lilting rendition, arranged in a Starlight Bouquet. Another Richard Maltby original takes the boys back to the atom-smashing bounce beat. It’s part of Dick’s ‘Nuclear Suite’ called Isotopes ‘N Isobars. Trombones and piano stand out in the lead-off entry on Side Two, the Richard Maltby tuner, Five Flats Furnished. The bright swinging style brings back the days when Dick served as an arranger for Benny Goodman. It Happened Only Once, which follows, is a never-to-be-forgotten blend of beguiling below-the-border rhythms and shimmering strings, with a touch of indigo – all within a captivating beguine framework. A combination of two strictly American innovations is found on the third track. Here, composer Robert McBride has fused the spirited “swing-your-partner” antics of the square dance with some ultra-modern jazz harmonies. The result is a jaunty novelty interpretation that depicts a Harlem Square Dance. The orchestra then turns the clock back to the glamorous, gaslit, gay ‘90s and a tune that practically everyone was whistling from barbershops to Sunday strolls on the green. It’s presented now as a syncopated, instrumental tour de force entitled, In The Gloaming. The last selection is a Theme Without Words, and really doesn’t need any, because the melody speaks for itself. This Richard Maltby creation is bedecked with a lush and lavish production that sifts the starlight from the summer sky into song. The arrangement for orchestra and chorus is brushed with the breath of June nights and all the magic of young love.