David Allen (1919–2012), formerly billed as David Allyn, was widely regarded as a singer’s singer—an artist admired not only by audiences but by his fellow vocalists. Indeed, many of the best singers in the business counted themselves among his most devoted admirers.

Allen first attracted attention during a brief but brilliant period with the Boyd Raeburn Orchestra in the late 1940s. After that promising beginning he slipped from the spotlight and retired from performing. Nearly a decade later he returned to recording at a moment of change for Pacific Jazz Records. Under the direction of Dick Bock, the label broadened its scope and became World-Pacific Records, opening the door to a wider range of vocal and popular releases.

Allen’s return came with A Sure Thing- David Allen Sings Jerome Kern, beautifully arranged by Johnny Mandel. The album was greeted as the welcome reappearance of a remarkable vocalist. Writing in Down Beat, critic Dom Cerulli praised Allen’s voice as “the richest, mellowest, smoothest baritone you ever heard,” adding that his phrasing and breath control were “phenomenal.”

The second album presented here, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, finds Allen in equally distinguished form. Supported by the superb orchestra of Bill Holman, he brings warmth, subtle swing, and deep understanding to a thought fully chosen group of songs—many of them refreshingly underperformed.

Together these recordings reveal the qualities that made David Allen so admired among singers themselves: a warm baritone, impeccable musicianship, and a rare and unmistakable feeling for a lyric.

—Jordi Pujol (From the inside liner notes of FSR V207)