[78-L] 78-Miller's guitar - Was Limited edition Miller

[JACK DANEY]

> Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:13:03 -0400
> From: Jeff Sultanof <jeffsultanof at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Limited edition Miller
> To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> Message-ID:
> <

> 
> The Miller band had a weak rhythm section (guitar was often barely audible,

As it should be. The secret of a great guitar player in a swing or dance
band rhythm section is/was to be as unobtrusive as possible BUT to still
hold the rhythm section together. In the days of the swing era, the only
time that the guitar player should have been noticed would have been if he
STOPPED playing. I refer you to two of the greatest, Allen Reuss and Al
Hendrickson. 
In later years when rock influenced almost everything and stronger
amplification became the norm many guitarists (not to mention bassists) fell
into the trap of turning up the volume and boosting the lower frequencies of
the guitar. Many great recordings of some otherwise great bands have been
spoiled because of the pervasive and all too obvious chonk,
chonk,chonk,chonk or noodling (at the wrong time) of less than sensitive
guitar players and/or recording engineers who wrongly believed that that was
the way it should be. No way!


> Personally it is not my favorite of the bands of that era (when I once
> discussed bands with George Avakian, he told me he had utter contempt for
> Miller's band), but I wouldn't want to give up my Miller sets. The band is
> still the perfect example of a dance band that could play beautiful music
> and could swing like crazy at will, deliberately designed to appeal to the
> biggest audience possible. I think it is a pity though that the era is now
> defined by "In the Mood" which was not one of Miller's best recordings, IMO,
> and I wish this piece could be retired, as I for one am sick of hearing it.
> 
> The AAF band IS one of my favorite organizations, and the fairly recent
> issues of OWI discs were beautifully done. That is the Glenn Miller I listen
> to most often.
> 
> Jeff Sultanof


I couldn't agree with you more on most of the above comments.  The Miller
band was the perfect ballroom or dance band of its time and possibly any
time even though it was not quite up to the quality of competitors like
Tommy Dorsey or others although the AAF band was absolutely about as good as
a band could get in that time. But what it did it did generally very well
and usually very musically. I still and will always consider "Moonlight
Serenade" to be one of the great tunes and recordings of the swing era.
It long ago become "hip" for musicians or those in the business to put
Miller down, usually for invalid reasons. I've been a lifelong musician and
my favorite band was probably Woody Herman (after 1945) but I too would not
part with my Miller recordings.
Jack D.