Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Friday 19th June 2015
What can one say about the music of
Glenn Miller, that has not already been said? Major Alton
Glenn Miller left England on 15th December 1944 planning on flying to Paris ahead of the rest of the band. The single engine Norseman in which he was flying never arrived, disappearing somewhere over the English Channel. There have been bands playing under the name of
The Glenn Miller Orchestra ever since and, 71 years later, they are still filling concert halls wherever they play. This is one of those bands and it is led by trombonist, Rick Gerber.
The usual rhythm section of piano, bass and drums were to the left, and four other trombones at the rear, four trumpets, and five reeds in front, were to the right, all ready take the audience back to a time when melody and harmony were still important, and every sung word could be clearly heard.
The first half of
the concert recalled the music of Miller, opening with a brief section of
Moonlight Serenade, his signature tune. The second half, however, was in memory of the First World War and included arrangements by others, including the great
Nelson Riddle, showing that the orchestra is not restricted to Miller's music and style.
For some reason, not explained, the singing group, The Swing Kittens, did not appear, but the Australian dance group the Broadway Swing Dancers, and the two American lead singers, Wendy Smith-Brune and Mark Kopitzke, made the trip.
Miller's unique sound came from using a clarinet lead with two alto, and two tenor saxophones in close harmony, or two altos, two tenors, and a baritone saxophone, as well as muted trombones He would also rehearse and rehearse the band endlessly, trying to achieve perfection. He even wrote a book in 1943 showing how to arrange in his style.
Following the opening snippet of
Moonlight Serenade came
I Hear You Screamin' and the unforgettable
String of Pearls, which were followed by the dancers being given a chance to shine on
American Patrol. The four dancers covered a range of dance styles during the course of the evening, not just swing dancing, so there was plenty of variety.
Not all tunes were written or arranged by Miller, and
Bill Finnegan's arrangement of
George Gershwin's
Rhapsody in Blue showed how others could produce material that suited the band, too.
Wendy Smith-Brune made numerous appearances during
the concert and
You're Gonna Here From Me was a promise that she kept. Statuesque and stylish, and wearing a different gown each time she came on stage, she possesses a voice of liquid gold.
Glenn Miller and his Orchestra appeared in two films, Sun Valley Serenade and Orchestra Wives, and her second offering
I Know Why and So Do You, came from the former of the two.
Mark Kopitzke was more reminiscent of the great singers, the crooners, like Sinatra, than Miller's regular vocalist, Tex Beneke. His full, rich voice fitted well with both Miller's repertoire as well as other styles that turned up in the second part of
the concert. The two singers blended extremely well in duets, too, their voices complementing each other superbly.
The second half featured some of the popular songs from the First World War, several of which were in the original band's repertoire and some that had been arranged for this tour. It was more eclectic than the first half, but the audience still lapped it all up.
All of the big hits, and everybody's favourites were there, plus a couple of less well-known tunes, in a jam packed evening of music that pleased the audience no end. Close your eyes and it could have been the original orchestra.
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