Jerry Orbach may be widely known today as a gruff and grizzled police detective on TV's "Law and Order," but theatregoers know his song-and dance work on Broadway and off, in such works as The Fantasticks, Carnival, Promises, Promises, The Threepenny Opera and 42nd Street. Decca Broadway has released "Jerry Orbach: Off Broadway," a bit of arcana from the label's vaults. The 1963 recording is available on CD for the first time, and is part of a new Decca series, "Stars on Decca Broadway," drawing on a stash of long out-of-print albums. The Orbach recording has been out of print for 30 years, and has been remastered.

Norman Paris arranged and conducted the album, which includes "In a Little While," "What Can It Be?," "I Could Be Happy With You," "There's a Small Hotel," "Laddie," "King of the World," "Portofino," "Try to Remember," "I'm Going to Find a Girl," "Lazy Afternoon," "Once in a Blue Moon," "Mack the Knife."

Expected in the "Stars on Decca Broadway" series are vault recordings from Carol Burnett, Sammy Davis Jr., Danny Kaye and "An Evening With Mary Martin and Ethel Merman."

The Orbach disc includes art and original liner notes.

-- By Kenneth Jones