• http://www.spaceagepop.com/gleason.htm

Space Age Pop is a wonderful site devoted to the best music from the fifties and sixties of the post-war, post- big band era.  The link above goes directly to the segment on Jackie Gleason and goes into detail regarding his life in general, and his career as an arranger of virtually a new genre in recording some dubbed "Mood Music."  The other listings in the site are well-worth visiting too.

• http://www.bigbandsandbignames.com/gleason.html

From Craig's Big Bands and Big Names website comes this review of Gleason's orchestral debut in 1953 in a small town in New Jersey as part of a promotion for his first album, Music, Martinis & Memories.  Gleason conducted a 27-piece orchestra and Bobby Hackett was the featured soloist.  Gleason would not have to endure performing in such small venues for very long.

Audio Reference Site Series

The sites listed below are part of my Audio Reference Site Series that I have also put on the web.

• http://phaselinearhistory.com

The Phase Linear Reference Site is a sister website covering the illustrious history of Phase Linear amps. preamps, tuners, speakers and other components.

•  http://www.quarter-a.netfirms.com/   

The Quarter-A Reference Site is devoted to the superb integrated amplifiers made by Marantz in the late 1980s that operated in Class A mode up to one-quarter of their rated output, before switching to Class A/B.  Models covered are the PM-94, PM-84, PM-74 and others.

• http://elitestereo.netfirms.com/

The Pioneer Elite Stereo Reference Site is devoted to the audiophile class of components made by Pioneer from the late 1980s to the dawn of the new millennium. This site specifically covers the stereo components; today Pioneer Elite is essentially a home theater component manufacturer.

Links of Interest

• http://www.percyfaithpages.org/

Bill Halvorsen's superb website devoted to Percy Faith. The Percy Faith Pages is a very comprehensive site with articles on the life and work of Percy Faith, one of the greatest popular music composers and arrangers of the 20th century. Information is also provided as to where to obtain the many CD reissues of Faith's music.

• http://www.autobahn.mb.ca/~agard/indexx.htm

Julie Is Her Name is a beautiful tribute to one of the most beautiful and talented women to have ever sung--Julie London. She was a contemporary of Jackie Gleason so this website is included here.