Best of the Big Bands: Evolution of a Band

Amazon.com
The series title is misleading. This isn't the "best" of Glenn Miller by any means, but these recordings from 1935 to 1938 provide an essential view of how he struggled to develop his own sound as an arranger and bandleader. The earliest tracks come from a pickup session that was highlighted by the trumpet work of Bunny Berigan, but there's already significant creativity in Miller's multidimensional arrangement of "Moonlight on the Ganges," with its contrasting string quartet and muted trombones. The first sessions for Miller's working band, from 1937, emphasize swing more than his later bands would, as is apparent in the sprightly renditions of "I Got Rhythm" and "Community Swing." The arrival of the superb clarinetist Irving Fazola for later sessions makes a significant difference. Fazola was an excellent soloist, with a warm, broad sound, and his clarinet in the reed section suggests the characteristic Miller sound to come. This is a fascinating document, chronicling the early stages of a great musical institution. --Stuart Broomer

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