The Best of the Army Air Force Band

by Glenn Miller

Overview

For those fans on a budget, this 14-track CD is a great gift from RCA/BMG, distilling down many of the best and most interesting sides from RCA's four-CD box of the complete Army Air Force Band sides (which has the same cover art but is, of course, a box). These 14 sides come from among the dozens of live broadcasts, V Disc sessions, and other performances by Glenn Miller & the Army Air Force Band, all from the period before they were transferred overseas. In doing so, the CD captures the highlights of what had heretofore been regarded as a "lost" chapter in the legendary bandleader's history, when he was, of course, no longer making commercial recordings, but performing to boost morale and the war effort. At the time, Miller was leading what was arguably the best band he ever had, consisting of dozens of the top musicians in the country -- draftees and enlistees alike -- he not only had an outsized complement of players, but room for a string section as well. The sides here include re-recordings of classic Miller hits such as "In the Mood" and "Tuxedo Junction," interspersed with new repertoire such as the "St. Louis Blues March." Producer Barry Feldman and the RCA engineers have outdone themselves, the remastering creating a loud, powerful sound to these sides with exquisite detail and a nice, close immediacy. This is helpful not only in terms of appreciating the hotter numbers here, but the "sweet" numbers as well: Johnny Desmond's singing on "Along the Santa Fe Trail" may be a long way from jazz, but it's one of the most sublimely beautiful songs ever recorded by anyone. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	09/26/2011
Label:	Rca
UPC:	0090266385720
Rank:	7897

Tracks

1. In the Mood
2. A String of Pearls
3. Rhapsody in Blue
4. Stardust
5. Song of the Volga Boatman
6. It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That)
7. Medley: Killarney/I've Got a Heart Filled with Love/Moonlight Serenade/
8. Tuxedo Junction
9. Blue Rain
10. Along the Santa Fe Trail
11. The St. Louis Blues March
12. Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)
13. As Time Goes By
14. Juke Box Saturday Night

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Glenn Miller   Primary Artist
The Glenn Miller Orchestra   Primary Artist
Jerry Gray   Vocals
S. Powell   Piano
Sam Schwartz   Viola
Manny Wishnow   Viola
Murray Kane   Vocals
Frank Ippolito   Drums
Saul Freeman   Sax (Alto)
Steve Alpert   Bass
Sgt. Chuck Gentry   Sax (Baritone)
Tony Martin   Vocals
Bob Carroll   Vocals
Carmen Mastren   Guitar

Technical Credits

Barry Feldman   Compilation Producer,Reissue Producer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Joshua Sherman   Executive Producer
James Van Heusen   Composer
Buddy Feyne   Composer
Mitchell Parish   Composer
Al Jacobs   Composer
Al Stillman   Composer
Glenn Miller   Composer
Hoagy Carmichael   Composer
Jerry Gray   Composer
Al Dubin   Composer
Chummy MacGregor   Composer
Joe Garland   Arranger,Composer
Julian Dash   Composer
Ray McKinley   Arranger
George Williams   Arranger,Composer
The Glenn Miller Orchestra   Performer
Herman Hupfeld   Composer
Will Grosz   Composer
Edwina Coolidge   Composer
William Johnson   Composer
Ralph Wilkinson   Arranger
Edward F. Polic   Liner Notes
Caroline Ulrich   Art Direction
Frederick Edward Weatherly   Composer
Michael O. Drexler   Remastering
Traditional   Composer
Paul McGrane   Composer
Andy Razaf   Composer
Eddie DeLange   Composer
Erskine Hawkins   Composer
W.C. Handy   Composer
George Gershwin   Composer
Joseph Meyer   Composer