Glenn Miller: Live At The Glen Island Casino 1939 auf 3 CDs

In the early years of the rapid rise of Glenn Miller’s Orchestra to become one of the biggest names in popular music at the end of the ‘50s and through to his legendary status as an icon of wartime inspiration on both sides of the Atlantic, Miller built his success through regular appearances on radio, and many of the broadcasts, such as the Chesterfield Shows, have been preserved on record for his many fans to enjoy. This series of programmes has been less readily available, appearing only in piecemeal form, as we hope that this 3-CD set will redress that situation and make available a fairly substantial selection of shows –thirteen 30-minute or 15-minute broadcasts - in their complete original form. They are programmes broadcast on NBC from the Glen Island Casino in New Rochelle, New York, on the Long Island Sound (as the announcer tells us in every broadcast!). The first show is the opening of his season on 17th May 1939, and the set includes regular broadcasts through to August of that year. The context of the broadcasts is hugely significant, as it was during the summer of 1939 that the commercial fortunes of the Miller Orchestra took off in a major way, and the radio exposure no doubt played an important part in this. They also immediately pre-dated the outbreak of World War II in Europe, although war could probably not have been further from the minds of the dancers at Glen Island. We have chosen to keep all the introductions and theme tunes, in order to maintain the flavour and atmosphere of the broadcasts, which very much capture the style and context of the era. It includes one very interesting vocal contribution from a young Kay Starr, as well as features for his regular vocalists Marion Hutton, Ray Eberle and Tex Beneke. Several tunes are repeated during the shows, giving an opportunity to hear different versions and performances of tunes that had already, or subsequently, appeared as commercial recordings, as well as his versions of then current popular tunes. It is an essential acquisition for Glenn Miller fans, many of whom will not already have these shows in their collection.

(acrobatmusic. net)