The Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed in 1938 and is still keeping up a busy tour schedule today; including its first ever trip to Tasmania.
With songs that have lasting appeal and a movie made about it, the orchestra aimed to be different to its peers, with its emphasis on the clarinet and tenor saxophone creating the melody, and several other saxophones providing the harmony.
Popular hits included among others, Chattanooga Choo Choo, In the mood, Moonlight Serenade and Pennsylvania 6-5000.
Musical Director Rick Gerber took time out to answer these questions.
Have you been to Tasmania before? Will you have time to do anything special while here?
No, we’ve never visited Tasmania before, but are certainly looking forward to this occasion. Due to the itinerary of the tour we will probably not have much free time to do any sightseeing etc.
Glenn Miller said that a band ought to have a sound all of its own it ought to have a personality. Can you tell me a bit about the ‘Glenn Miller Orchestra’s’ personality?
Glenn Miller developed his own unique “sound” which became his instantly identifiable trademark. More specifically the “Miller Sound” was centred around the saxophone section of the original Glenn Miller Orchestra. This trademark sound consisted of a clarinet playing the top note of a chord with a tenor sax playing doubling that lead voice an octave lower; between these two notes the remaining voices of the five-reed sax section (two alto saxes and another tenor sax) filled in the harmony voices of the chord.
A famous quote Glenn miller said was “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing”. Do you agree with that?
Actually the quote, “It Don’t Mean A Thing…..” was uttered by Duke Ellington and that quote was the title of one of Duke’s most popular compositions.
This is the first time I’ve ever heard of it being attributed to Glenn Miller, but it’s a great quotation that describes the idiom of swing music.
What do you think is Glenn miller’s signature tune?
Glenn Miller’s signature tune, without question, is “Moonlight Serenade” which he composed and arranged. It has been the orchestra’s theme song for over 70 years and we play a brief version of it to open every show and the full-length version as the closing number of every performance. Perhaps a close “second place” tune would be “In The Mood” which was his biggest selling record and is probably the most remembered song from the swing era of big bands.
You can see Rick and the Glenn Miller Orchestra perform at Wrest Point Casino on Tuesday 13 November at 7.30 p.m.
Paula Xiberras
