Yes, once upon a time, jazz was not only the best music, but also the most popular. Trombonist and leader Glenn Miller was a product of the Ray Noble orchestra before coming up with his own uniquely voiced band that featured a clarinet lead, creating a signature sound that captured the hearts and ears of America during the war years. This 5 disc, 124 song collection has just about every song of Miller’s that hit the charts.
Back in the Swing era, there were two types of orchestras, the “hot” ones like Benny Goodman, and the “sweet”ones such as that of Miller. And, yes, there are some downright swingers such as “Little Brown Jug”, “Runnin’ Wild” and the classic “In The Mood”, the emphasis here is on the evocative and richly textured arrangements. No one could imitate Miller’s reed section on “Moonlight Serenade” , “Star Dust” and “Frenesi”. What also gave the band its own voice was (literally) the tenor sax and Midwestern voice of Tex Beneke, who added a hokum charm to “Chatanooga Choo Choo” , “(I’ve Got A Gal In) Kalamazoo” and with and with The Modernaires created rich harmonies with “Chatanooga Choo Choo”. His other vocalist, the rich baritone Ray Eberlie” was featured on “You and I” and “Song of the Volga Boatmen”.
Miller was popular during WWII, so there are lots of nostalgic songs for people to remember their lovers on the other side of The Pond, such as “Always In My Heart”, “American Patrol” and “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)” as well as cleverly arranged versions of “A String Of Pearls” and “Tuxedo Junction”.
Yes, the music could be accused of being formulaic, it was an excellent formula, and he also boasted names like Jimmy Abato, Ernie Caceres, Al Klink and Willie Schwartz, proving that when you’ve got money, you can afford the best. More than mere memories here, as Miller and his band, right up to his tragic death in 1944, showed that popular music can also swing.