Search - Glenn Miller :: 1942 Chesterfield Shows

Band at the top of its' form

C. Craig | Havant, England, UK | 02/28/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"By the time these airshots were recorded, the Miller band had moved on from the earlier formulaic arrangements. With Billy May in the trumpet section - and contributing some great arrangements - the band has a fuller, brassier sound with a sax section now boosted by more scoring of the baritone sax giving a richer tone. The Modernaires now a permanent fixture also adds some variety to the repertoire. Ray Eberle's vacant vocals are something you just have to put up with, but Miller wasn't about to fall into the Tommy Dorsey trap with Sinatra and run the risk of ending up as a backing band to a singer. Skip Nelson - Eberle's successor - wasn't much better, but he was competent by the standards of the time. The rhythm section is much improved, Trigger Alpert was a great bassist, and Moe Purtill wasn't a half bad drummer. Miller had a very good radio manner unlike (say) Benny Goodman, and sounds on top of his job. The jazz content is admittedly minimal - Miller's was a dance orchestra after all - but the influence is still there, and the band's overall precision and professionalism shines through. All in all, this CD demonstrates what a slick commercial outfit Miller had developed by the time he left to join the US Army, and his status as the nation's No.1 band seems well-deserved."

Most authentic cd I've ever heard

C. Craig | 11/10/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For a big band fan there is nothing that even compares to this. The authenticity is beyond belief. There is even a station identification."