Once upon a time it was virtually unheard of for musical performers to write their own songs. That was the province of a separate breed, the professional songwriters who worked for music publishers in New York's Brill Building, or else touted their wares down the Tin Pan Alleys of the world. Essential to the whole process were the vocalists, because someone had to sing the songs.These were often under contract with a specific dance band. In the parlance of the day, these singers were often referred to as 'crooners'. The hundred tracks on this 4-CD set are mostly drawn from the 1950s and early 1960s largely a mixture of standards from the pens of classic songwriters like Cole Porter and George Gershwin, as well as showtunes taken from musicals like My Fair Lady and Showboat.