Fans of strict tempo dance music could do worse than pick up some of the Ballroom Dancing series of CDs and cassettes put out by the Francisco Montaro Ensemble in the 1990s. There were at least half a dozen albums in the series and all of them frequently reside at your neighbourhood thrift stores.
Swing is Volume 4 and was originally released in Europe by the budget Tring label in 1993 with a different title and cover.
It was released by the Quebec label Madacy in 1994 with a revised title and the cover pictured at the top of this post. This version was widely distributed in Canada and the U.S.
Was (or is) the Francisco Montaro Ensemble a real, working orchestra? The chances seem pretty slim. Although there are a few real instruments involved in the recording, much of it is electronically generated. Still, the sound is miles ahead of the dozens of similar albums out there. Here's a sample from Ballroom Dancing, Vol. 4: Swing.
All My Loving
You should have no trouble locating any of the Montaro Ensemble albums. If the thrift stores don't have them, cheap used copies are plentiful online. Some Montaro recordings, including the Swing album, are available as downloads.
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