JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH
It was one of the great swing bands but it made no recordings that were available to the American public. Glenn Miller broke up his hugely successful orchestra in 1942 to join the Army Air Force. By 1943 he had assembled a huge orchestra that included such notable swing players as pianist Mel Powell, the young trumpeter Bobby Nichols, Peanuts Hucko on clarinet and tenor, and drummer Ray McKinley, along with singer Johnny Desmond, ten strings, and the vocal group the Crew Chiefs (consisting of five male singers).
Until his death in Dec. 1944, it was Miller’s finest orchestra. The Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band came together in the United States, relocated to England, and after Miller’s demise, performed on the European continent before breaking up late in 1945.
While there were no commercial recordings, fortunately the band recorded V-Discs for American servicemen and radio transcriptions that were aired in Europe, and many of their radio broadcasts have survived and been released through the years.
In the late 1960s, a five-LP box set simply called Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band was compiled that consisted of some of the orchestra’s finest and more jazz-oriented performances. The 30-piece orchestra, which also included lead trumpeter Bernie Privin, tenor-saxophonist Hank Freeman and altoist Vince Carbone, is featured on such numbers as “The G.I. Jive,” “Holiday For Strings,” “Pistol Packin’ Mama,” “Anvil Chorus,” “In The Mood,” “Everybody Loves My Baby,” “Farewell Blues,” “Sun Valley Jump,” “Flyin’ Home” and their most famous arrangement, “St. Louis Blues March.” Bobby Nichols’ hot trumpet solos are a particular highpoint of these performances.
While there have been other releases by the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band on CDs and LPs, most of which are rewarding, the RCA five-LP box is the place to start.
Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band
RCA LPM-6700
