Benny Goodman vs. Glenn Miller

[CharlieH.]

I know what you mean, but I just pictured “Glenn Miller and his Howling Commandos”

That reminded me...
A long time ago, while searching for Glenn Miller tunes on the "net", I bumped into what appeared to be a comic strip about Miller! I think it was called The Fighting Trombonist or something to that effect. Anyone ever seen such a thing? (Or had I lost my marbles by then?)

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

That reminded me...
A long time ago, while searching for Glenn Miller tunes on the "net", I bumped into what appeared to be a comic strip about Miller! I think it was called The Fighting Trombonist or something to that effect. Anyone ever seen such a thing? (Or had I lost my marbles by then?)

Well, didn't find your cartoon, but found this poster I'm gonna have to buy now. Thanks a lot! Talk about a Bad Influence. You guys... lol

http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Glenn-Miller-Posters_i1107981_.htm


Swing High,
- C H

 

[dr greg]

big bill

Did or did not Billy May arrange 'In The Mood"?

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

Did or did not Billy May arrange 'In The Mood"?

No, according to this interview with the only surviving original band member who was with Miller till he split up the band in 1942 (and just wrote a memoirs book I've got to buy!), Miller re-arranged the song on the spot he bought it.

The original 78 label here credits "Joe Garland"; here's a FASCINATING national public radio MP3 segment all about the origins of Glenn Miller's "in the mood":
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=10796


Swing High,
- C H

 

[resortes805]

Glenn Miller can ride the chatanooga choo choo on out of town and never come back. Hopefully he will take In the Mood with him. That song has more false endings than Return of the King.

 

[harmonslide]

I like that song!

Has anybody seen the current Glenn Miller Orchestra? Apparently they no longer have Glenn Miller [huh] but I've heard very good things.

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

I like that song!

Has anybody seen the current Glenn Miller Orchestra? Apparently they no longer have Glenn Miller [huh] but I've heard very good things.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra is INCREDIBLE. I think many of the folks here at the Lounge have heard them too and can agree.

(I would add, the same is true for the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, which also tours; they were under the direction of Buddy Morrow when I saw them recently, who made some great big band 78s on RCA Victor in the early 1950s under his own name, got his autograph on one at the last concert.)

But back to the Miller orchestra: I'd reccomend you keep an eye on their website and listen to them when they come to your state! It was one of their concerts a little over couple years ago where I first discovered there actually Are a number of people my age who not only enjoy the music but actually dress up 1940s style, even in NC. (Saw the cutest mother & daughter pair you'd ever hope to see in your life! As in...

Realized then, it's going to be a lifelong hobby to seek out other folks with these interests. These concerts are a great way to meet cool folks.

Here's the Miller Orch's website: Click the "Tour Schedule" on the top bar of links & look for the closest to you: They're coming through NC later this year, sure hope I can work it into the schedule; Don't know how far it is from you, but they'll be in Norwalk, OH on August 26th:

http://www.glennmillerorchestra.com/


Swing High,
- C H

 

[Brooksie]

I went onto the website for the Glen Miller Orchestra and went to the tour schedule just for giggles...(I live way out in the sticks on the Oregon coast - and I just figured that they would not be anywhere close to where I am at) and low and behold they are coming to Tillamook Oregon in March of 2007! I am only about 15 miles from Tillamook... so I guess it is a good omen, which means I will have to go!

Brooksie

 

[FedoraGent]

I went onto the website for the Glen Miller Orchestra and went to the tour schedule just for giggles...(I live way out in the sticks on the Oregon coast - and I just figured that they would not be anywhere close to where I am at) and low and behold they are coming to Tillamook Oregon in March of 2007! I am only about 15 miles from Tillamook... so I guess it is a good omen, which means I will have to go!

Brooksie

It really just breaks my heart that no one is into Benny like I am. Yeah, I realize that for one thing the GMO is still around even though Helen Burger Miller and her kids didn't endorse them but jeesh. Longevity, I give the GMO, but quality of the music and less kitch...that's Benny. Art (and no I'm not speaking Artie) was the stuff of Benny Goodman's music. Won't more of you cats and kittens vote for Benny? No Vote for Diz...that's a whole different decade.

Jon

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

It really just breaks my heart that no one is into Benny like I am.

Hey, it's BG 26 to GM 28. Only the proMillerite posters are commenting more.

I think one of those "perfect" song recordings is Billy Holiday's and Benny Goodman's "My mother's son-in-law".

Note to self: Compile list of those. Record them (legally) for my sister already. Then post list here.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

I just happened to listen to the Carnegie Hall concert of 1938 with Goodman. That is big band swing, too, and in my personal opinion, a notch (and a peak) better than Glenn Miller's stuff. It's still mainstream, but hot, not creamy and well-set as the latter's recordings, which remind me sometimes of a pensioners' ever-grinning band.

Not void of false endings either, if you like that.

 

[harmonslide]

The Glenn Miller Orchestra is INCREDIBLE. I think many of the folks here at the Lounge have heard them too and can agree.

(I would add, the same is true for the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, which also tours; they were under the direction of Buddy Morrow when I saw them recently, who made some great big band 78s on RCA Victor in the early 1950s under his own name, got his autograph on one at the last concert.)

Here's the Miller Orch's website: Click the "Tour Schedule" on the top bar of links & look for the closest to you: They're coming through NC later this year, sure hope I can work it into the schedule; Don't know how far it is from you, but they'll be in Norwalk, OH on August 26th:

http://www.glennmillerorchestra.com/


Swing High,
- C H

It's too bad they're not going to be in my area for a while. I saw them on PBS last year -- good stuff, but television music doesn't nearly compare to the live stuff.

 

[magneto]

Well if yer gonna talk "art"...

then rah-rah Benny Goodman! After all he had the impeccable taste to be so influenced by Fletcher Henderson

 

[FedoraGent]

then rah-rah Benny Goodman! After all he had the impeccable taste to be so influenced by Fletcher Henderson

See now gang, a fine example of rah rah for Binyomen.

Thanks M.

Jon

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

It really just breaks my heart that no one is into Benny like I am...

Hey, check out this video posted in another thread, a Benny Goodman full length performance from a 1943 movie with swing dancers in the rain! This is what it's all about, man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwHOIJ9HPrc
(be sure and click the lower right button on the video portion of the webpage to make it full-screen)


Swing High,
- C H

 

[LizzieMaine]

One of the elements that swings the vote to Benny for me is that he tended to have superior vocalists as well as superior sidemen -- not to slight Marion, Tex or the Modernaires (note I don't include Ray Eberle in that sentence!), but Helen Ward, Martha Tilton and Helen Forrest all had a real feel for jazz that raises them a touch above the competition. I especially like Helen Ward, whose sides with Goodman in the mid-thirties are just about as perfect as records can get -- she could help even the hokiest pop tune swing.

 

[Brooksie]

It really just breaks my heart that no one is into Benny like I am.

Jon

I will have to admit that the main reason my vote swings toward Glen Miller is for sentimental reasons... The first time I actually recall hearing Glen Miller I was about 5 years old and it was durring the early 70's-at my Grandma's house and they used to play Glen Miller a lot on the radio station she used to listen to. When the songs came on she would say Oh this is a good one now this is "String of Pearls" or this is another good one this is "In the Mood", and she would take my by the hands and we would go dancing around the house! Ah those were good times! So to this day I absolutly love Glen Miller, now this time around my Mom and I, when we hear the music together we will say now this one is a good one.... only we don't go dancing around the house like Grandma and I used to (because Mom is in her 70's and has a bad foot!) But we will be going to see the concert in Tillamook in March!

Brooksie

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

The first time I actually recall hearing Glen Miller I was about 5 years old and it was durring the early 70's-at my Grandma's house and they used to play Glen Miller a lot...

Ha! Maybe we shoudl start an "I was introduced to Glenn Miller when I was 5 years old by my grandparents" club, there was at least one other Lounge member who said the same thing.

Yes, when I want to hear hot swing jazz, I go straight for the Goodman. I'll add that when I while at my last job (very large corporation), when looking through coworkers' workplace CD collections, if there was a stray swing band one among the rock, it's most often Goodman.


Swing High,
- C H

 

[skwerl-hat]

Has anybody seen the current Glenn Miller Orchestra? Apparently they no longer have Glenn Miller but I've heard very good things.

i missed the glenn miller group, saw the tommy dorsey orchestra play in vegas about 2 years ago i was astounded at how well they played and for how long id say the show was at least two hours unfortunately i was with a friend who decided to bail before the show ended.:|

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

As I learn from a different thread, GM didn't even write In the Mood, and didn't record the best version either, in my opinion.

I gather we just know his version so well.