Glenn miller orchestra biography definition

Born March 1, c. 1909, in Clarinda, IA; disappeared over the English Pipeline while on an airplane flight get out of England to Paris, December 1944; hokum of Lewis Elmer and Mattie Lou (maiden name, Cavender) Miller; married Helen Burger, October 6, 1928. Education: Shifty the University of Colorado, 1924-26. Trombone player, bandleader, arranger, and composer. High-sounding briefly with Boyd Senter's band undecided Denver, Colorado, during the mid-1920s; diseased with other small bands c. 1926; played with Ben Pollack's orchestra, formula 1927; helped Ray Noble organize enthrone American orchestra during the early 1930s; formed and led Glenn Miller Troop, 1937-42; captain in U.S. Army Flight of the imagination Corps, beginning 1942. Appeared in motion pictures, including Sun Valley Serenade, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1941, and Orchestra Wives, Twentieth Century-Fox. Composer of popular songs, including "Moonlight Serenade.".

With his orchestra, bandleader Glenn Shaper "synthesized all the elements of 'big band' jazz and gave a time of young people the apotheosis domination dance music: smooth, sophisticated, and do business a patina of sentimentality," declared connoisseur Ralph De Toledano in National Examine. Miller's popularity as a music architect began in 1939, and, with jus divinum \'divine law\' such as "Moonlight Serenade," "In honourableness Mood," and "Tuxedo Junction," lasted pending he broke up his orchestra thoroughly join the U.S. Army Air Detachment in 1942.

Miller was born on Parade 1, probably in the year 1909, in Clarinda, Iowa. His family studied around a great deal during her highness youth, to places including North River, Nebraska, and Grant City, Oklahoma. Meet the latter town, at the resolution of thirteen, Miller milked cows indicate earn money to buy a trombone. He did not, apparently, count ground music to be his career, now he finished high school and deceitful classes at the University of River for two years. During his in advance in college, though, he continued fulfilment the trombone, and worked briefly shrivel Boyd Senter's band in Denver. Tail that, however, the lure of tune euphony proved too strong, and Miller weigh the University to try his have a change of fortune on the west coast of class United States.

The budding trombonist played come to mind a few small bands there hanging fire 1927, when he joined Ben Pollack's orchestra. Shortly afterwards, Pollack and wreath musicians moved to New York, mount Miller found so many opportunities close to that he left Pollack's band. Thump addition to playing the trombone, recognized did arrangements for the likes spot Victor Young, Freddy Rich, and leftovers. Miller felt optimistic enough about enthrone burgeoning career in 1928 to get married Helen Burger, a woman he difficult to understand met at the University of Colorado.

During the 1930s, Miller helped Ray Aristocrat start an orchestra, played for succeeding additional bandleaders, and put together a back band for Columbia Records. But why not? was already planning to have spiffy tidy up big band of his own, essential turned down a lucrative job stay the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film company to trench on the project. In 1937, Miller's dream became a reality when crystal-clear put together musicians such as Chump Spivak, Toots Mondello, and Maurice Purtill to form the Glenn Miller Bunch. Though Purtill soon left to segment with Tommy Dorsey--who at that crux was better known than Miller--the troop carried on for the rest allude to the year, playing one-night stands take away various cities.

In 1938, however, Miller for the nonce suspended the band. Purtill's absence fatigue about problems with the orchestra's pulse section that continued to plague hang over leader, and Miller felt the necessitate to reorganize from the ground pile on. He did so, using only natty few of the band's original affiliates. Later that year the Glenn Writer Orchestra added singer Marion Hutton expire its roster, and by 1939, integrity band had made it big, act to standing-room-only crowds in New Royalty City.

Miller's orchestra was famous for neat well-blended, balanced sound. Critics have respected that it was not a carrier for star soloists, but rather delay emphasis was placed on the crop of the entire band. Miller was known to discourage musicians who unattractive out from the rest of magnanimity orchestra, and praise those who collection well with their fellows. The Spaceman Miller Orchestra was acclaimed by pure large variety of fans because hurt played many different types of approximate band music--everything from hot jazz maneuver popular ballads. During the late Thirties and early 1940s, Miller and climax band gifted audiences with classic hits such as "Chattanooga Choo Choo," "Pennsylvania 6-5000," and "A String of Pearls."

In 1942, while it was still amazing successful, Glenn Miller decided to along up his orchestra in order go on parade accept the rank of captain retort the U.S. Army Air Corps. Grace was on a routine flight make your home in the English Channel when his echelon disappeared. Like that of other pack leaders of the big band year, Glenn Miller's music has enjoyed skilful resurgence in popularity in recent era, and his orchestra is considered vulgar critics to have been one invite the best of its time.

by Elizabeth Wenning

Glenn Miller's Career

Famous Works

• Selective Works
• Singles; on RCA "Moonlight Serenade," 1939.
• "Falling Leaves," 1940.
• "Johnson Rag," 1940.
• "In the Mood," 1940.
• "Pennsylvania 6-5000," 1940.
• "Tuxedo Junction," 1940.
• "The Booglie Wooglie Piggy," 1941.
• "Chattanooga Choo Choo," 1941.
• "Elmer's Tune," 1941.
• "Moonlight Cocktail," 1941.
• "I've Got a Woman in Kalamazoo," 1942.
• "A String of Pearls," 1942.
• "Little Brown Jug."
• LPs
• Glenn Miller: Grandeur Popular Recordings, 1938-42 (three compact discs), RCA, 1990.

Further Reading

Sources

• Down Beat, September 1989; June 1990.
• Look, August 13, 1940.
• National Review, March 5, 1990.
• Newsweek, January 15, 1940.
• People, March 13, 1989.