Glenn Miller Orchestra (1937-1944)

Glenn Miller Orchestra
Original Glenn Miller Orchestra, 1940s
Background information
Genres	Big band, Swing
Years active	c. 1938– September 27, 1942
Labels	RCA Victor Bluebird Records
Website	www.glennmiller.com/index.html
Past members	Glenn Miller Tex Beneke Al Klink Al Mastren Alec Fila Babe Russin Barney Bigard Billy May Bob Price Bobby Hackett Buddy DeFranco Charles Frankhauser Charlie Spivak Chummy McGregor Clyde Hurley Dale McMickle Doc Goldberg Ernie Caceres Eddie Durham Frank Carlson Frank D'Annolfo George Siravo Hal McIntyre Jack Lathrop Jimmy Abato Jimmy Priddy Johnny Best Legh Knowles Marion Hutton Maurice Purtill Paul Tanner Ray Anthony Ray Eberle Richard Fisher Rolly Bundock Tommy Mack Trigger Alpert Wilbur Schwartz

Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was a swing dance band formed by Glenn Miller in 1938. It was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony. This arrangement was different from usual and allowed Miller to develop his own style and sound, which made him and his orchestra one of the greatest and well-known of the swing era.

By the mid-1930s, Glenn Miller was known as a sideman and arranger. Originally forming a band around 1935–36, they signed with Brunswick Records, but struggled with financial troubles and the band folded in 1937. But they reformed in 1938, and under new management they got significant radio airplay and achieved a large amount of success. Through Miller's demand for professionalism at all times, perseverance, hard work, and musical genius, he created his own distinctive style, different from the regular swing bands of the time, which earned him 70 top ten singles and 22 number one records in just four short years - and launched the band to the uppermost heights of superstardom.

The newly reformed band was much better but it took more time for them to get famous. They opened April 16, 1938 at Raymor Ballroom in Boston and when the band reached New York, they were billed below Freddie Fisher and His Schnickelfritzers. But they performed more and more and eventually signed with RCA Victor subsidiary label Bluebird Records. On September 7, 1938, the first recordings with made with the newly reformed band. They were "My Reverie", "King Porter Stomp" and "By the Waters of Minnetonka", in two parts. Miller was not yet famous, and made less than 10 recordings with his band for the rest of that year.

In March 1939, The Glenn Miller Orchestra was given its big break, when they were chosen to play the summer season at the prestigious Glen Island Casino located on the north shore of Long Island Sound in New Rochelle, New York. On May 17, 1939, they played their first songs of the night. The casino had a radio broadcast antenna and the Miller band was heard around the country. By the end of their summer season, they had nationwide attention. They were famous.