BIG BAND NEWS “They wore me out . . . I couldn’t take that much work. We hardly ever had a night off. Oh boy! I got so I couldn’t sleep in a bed, I could only sleep on a bus.” - Ray McKinley on leading The Glenn Miller Orchestra A special issue devoted to Glenn Miller’s music in time for the 41st annual “Glenn Miller Birthplace Festival” being held June 9-12 in Clarinda, Iowa. Compiled by Music Librarian Christopher Popa June 2016 It was 60 years ago this month that an authorized Glenn Miller Orchestra began making public appearances again, after having been restarted by drummer-vocalist Ray McKinley at the request of Miller’s widow, Helen, and band booker Willard Alexander. In April, 1956, Mackay had organized Glenn Miller Productions, Inc. as a New York corporation to, in part, organize and manage a new Glenn Miller Orchestra. In the new setup, the Miller Estate and Mackay became partners, while McKinley and the sidemen were employees. Alexander explained that the billing of the unit would be “The Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of and featuring Ray McKinley.” Auditions and rehearsals for the new band were held in April and May and Ray McKinley told me that their first job was on Wednesday, June 6, 1956 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Massachusetts. The band personnel that day was as follows - Ray McKinley (d/voc) directing: Don Ellis, John Glasel, Paul Mathias, Bill Spano (tp), Leonard Barton, Dick Brady, Charles Loper, Tom Parker (tb), Lenny Hambro, Louis Fratture (as), Ray Black, Phil Manning (ts), Jodie Lyons (bar), Bob Weiner (p), Dick Garcia (g/vo), Jim Thorpe (b), Larry Callahan (d), and Marilyn Mitchell (vo). According to an article in Billboard magazine, the band quickly “chalked up some healthy one-nighter grosses” on the road. For example, they did the “best business of the season” on Saturday, June 9, 1956 at Hershey Park in Hershey, PA. They broke a box office record at Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada on Friday, June 15, 1956 (and were booked back there that August). On Saturday, June 23rd, 1956 they pulled 3,775 admissions at Lesourdesville Lake Park in Middletown, Ohio. The Summer Gardens in Porter Dover, Ontario, Canada had its biggest advance sale of tickets in 36 years when the band played there on Wednesday, June 27, 1956. And the following day, the band did tremendous business at Castle Gardens in Allentown, PA, too. GLENN MILLER ( 1904—1944 )
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BIG BAND NEWS
“They wore me out . . . I
couldn’t take that much
work. We hardly ever had
a night off. Oh boy! I got
so I couldn’t sleep in a
bed, I could only sleep on
a bus.”
- Ray McKinley on leading The
Glenn Miller Orchestra
A special issue devoted to Glenn Miller’s music in time for the 41st annual “Glenn Miller Birthplace Festival” being held June 9-12 in
Clarinda, Iowa.
Compiled by Music Librarian Christopher Popa June 2016
It was 60 years ago this month that an authorized Glenn Miller Orchestra began making public
appearances again, after having been restarted by drummer-vocalist Ray McKinley at the request of
Miller’s widow, Helen, and band booker Willard Alexander. In April, 1956, Mackay had organized Glenn
Miller Productions, Inc. as a New York corporation to, in part, organize and manage a new Glenn Miller
Orchestra. In the new setup, the Miller Estate and Mackay became partners, while McKinley and the
sidemen were employees. Alexander explained that the billing of the unit would be “The Glenn Miller
Orchestra under the direction of and featuring Ray McKinley.” Auditions and rehearsals for the new
band were held in April and May and Ray McKinley told me that their first job was on Wednesday, June
6, 1956 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Massachusetts. The band personnel that day
was as follows - Ray McKinley (d/voc) directing: Don Ellis, John Glasel, Paul Mathias, Bill Spano (tp),
Leonard Barton, Dick Brady, Charles Loper, Tom Parker (tb), Lenny Hambro, Louis Fratture (as), Ray
Black, Phil Manning (ts), Jodie Lyons (bar), Bob Weiner (p), Dick Garcia (g/vo), Jim Thorpe (b), Larry
Callahan (d), and Marilyn Mitchell (vo). According to an article in Billboard magazine, the band quickly
“chalked up some healthy one-nighter grosses” on the road. For example, they did the “best business
of the season” on Saturday, June 9, 1956 at Hershey Park in Hershey, PA. They broke a box office
record at Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada on Friday, June 15, 1956 (and were booked back there that
August). On Saturday, June 23rd, 1956 they pulled 3,775 admissions at Lesourdesville Lake Park in
Middletown, Ohio. The Summer Gardens in Porter Dover, Ontario, Canada had its biggest advance
sale of tickets in 36 years when the band played there on Wednesday, June 27, 1956. And the
following day, the band did tremendous business at Castle Gardens in Allentown, PA, too.
GLENN MILLER ( 1904—1944 )
Original Miller Music Recorded in the Month of June
June 9, 1937— I Got Rhythm, Sleepy Time Gal, Community Swing, Time On My
Hands (Brunswick)
June 2, 1939— Guess I’ll Go Back Home (This Summer), I’m Sorry for Myself,
Back to Back, Slip Horn Jive (Bluebird)
June 27, 1939— The Day We Meet Again, Wanna Hat with Cherries, Sold
American, Pagan Love Song (Bluebird)
June 13, 1940— When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano, A Million Dreams
Ago, Blueberry Hill, A Cabana in Havana, Be Happy, Angel Child (Bluebird)
June 25, 1941— Under Blue Canadian Skies, The Cowboy Serenade (While I’m
Rollin’ My Last Cigarette), You and I, Adios (Bluebird)
June 17, 1942— That’s Sabotage, Conchita, Marquita, Lolita, Pepita, Rosita,
Juanita Lopez, The Humming-Bird, Yesterday’s Gardenias (Victor)
Latest Glenn Miller Orchestra Releases
includes many big hits, as well as I Got Rhythm, Let’s All Sing Together,
and Yes, My Darling Daughter. Meanwhile, the fifth volume of the
“Complete” Beneke-Miller Orchestra has the instrumental Chango and a
vocal by Mary Mayo, It Was Lovely Knowing You, both previously-