Glenn Miller & His Orchestra

Moonlight Serenade, Sunrise Serenade, Little Brown Jug, In the Mood… These and other memorable tunes endeared Glenn Miller to millions in the Swing Era and all who recall those times. After playing trombone and arranging for leading orchestras of the Dorsey brothers, Ray Noble, Ben Pollack, and Red Nichols, Glenn Miller formed his own “sweet” band, which from 1938 to 1942 achieved widespread popularity second only to Benny Goodman’s. Miller learned all he could from these and other bands like Jimmie Lunceford’s and Artie Shaw’s, going on to create a uniquely rich sound with clarinet over four saxes and four trombones (“three-part harmony sounds too thin,” he once exclaimed). Simon tells of both the successes and hard times of Miller’s illustrious career, up to his celebrated Army Air Force band and his untimely death.