Summary
Glenn Miller's music is best enjoyed dancing or winding down.
Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was a swing band that topped the charts with their songs, Moonlight Cocktail and The Woodpecker Song. The band first started in 1938, made up of a clarinet and four saxophones, with Miller playing the trombone.
The band’s mellow instrumentals and vocals are a perfect backdrop for a quiet evening. Whether you’re cooking dinner, enjoying a drink or sitting with your thoughts.
And their fast-paced livelier songs get you in the mood* to dance.
Some of the band’s best pieces are instrumental, like the famous Moonlight Serenade and Everybody Loves My Baby. They provide a relaxing ambience that can send your mind into a serene state.
Their songs also set a sweet, romantic mood; found in On A Little Street In Singapore, Indian Summer and Hear My Song, Violetta.
The song, Perfidia is an outlier, with its disheartened words about a broken heart and unfaithful partners. Despite this, it is sung and played beautifully.
Swing Music
Like many swing songs, some lyrics are what you’d call silly. Songs like Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens by Louis Jordan are a fresh contrast to bleaker or more serious song lyrics from other genres. There is nothing wrong with a song that’s melancholy or grave, but a balance is good for the soul. Titles from Glenn’s orchestra with this description are The Little Man Who Wasn’t There and Three Little Fishes.
Glenn Miller and His Orchestra were also the first to perform At Last by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren. For the movie, Sun Valley Serenade. Etta May, Celine Dion and Beyoncé have also made famous renditions of this song.
Elmer’s Tune is a sweet-sounding song with an interesting story. Following the theme of swing songs, the lyrics are whimsical: “Why are the stars always winkin’ and blinkin’ above?” and “What puts the kick in a chicken, the magic in June?” The composer, Elmer Albrecht, was a student at the Worsham College of Embalming when he wrote this song in the 20s. He played the tune on pianos in nightclubs in Chicago. During a lunch break, Elmer met Dick Jurgens at the Aragon Ballroom and they agreed to record the song. Glenn Miller later asked to record the song with his band, making it one of the most successful versions of Elmer’s Tune.
Glenn Miller’s music is energetic, calm and romantic. The upbeat voices and high-tempo rhythms of swing have you humming along and dancing in your seat. While the slow, soft saxophones make you smile contently. If you’re tired and stressed from work, try this vintage band for size.
*In The Mood is another famous hit. Like Glenn Miller, I also like puns!
Featured Image Credit: Britannica
First year journalism student. From Aboyne, Aberdeenshire but lived in Doha for eight years.
