80 Years And Still Swinging: The Glenn Miller Orchestra Returns to Duluth

Wednesday evening I slid down the hill to hear the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the West Theatre in Duluth. There were still a few seats available but the turnout was strong, especially considering they had also performed a well-attended afternoon concert here as well.

Reader publisher and theater owner Bob Boone, decked out in a tux, opened the show by welcoming us warmly and telling us about some upcing shows we shouldn't miss. Pick up a Reader to stay current and get the dates on your calendars.

From 1939 to 1942, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was the best selling recording bad in the country. This was the big band swing era and Glenn Miller memorable music is with us still today.

In 1942 Miller enlisted to serve in the war effort, from which he never returned, disappearing in a plane crash while crossing the English Channel in 1944. His music lived on, however, as did his orchestra which still travels the country performing as many as 200 shows a year. The various musicians rotate over time but this is the same Glenn Miller Orchestra that thrilled the nation at the end ofthe 30's.

A bouyant crowd was demonstrably lifted by this lively big band carrying on a grand tradition. Here are many of the songs they performed, including Moonlight Serenade, the one they opened ad closed every show with.

Moonlight Serenade

String of Pearls

Pennsylvania 6-5000

I Dreamt I Dwelt In Harlem

I Know Why And So Do You
Vocalist Jenny Schwartz has a velvet voice and confident style that lit up the room. One was certain that she'd been transported here by time machine when she sang,  "Why do I see rainbows when I'm in your arms?"

The big band played two sets with a 20 minute intermission. Here are some of the other tunes they delivered with gusto.

The Blue Room

Boom Shot

Our Love Is Here To Stay

I'm Beginning to See the Light

Sentimental Journey

Glenn Miller also did songs from the Tommy Dorsey songbook and others.

Puddle Wump

Tuxedo Junction (Erskine Hawkins)

The Nearness of You

Sweeter Than The Sweetest

The Little Man Who Wasn't There

In the Mood

American Patrol (for veterans)

Chatanooga Choo Choo

For an encore they did Little Brown Jug, swing style.

The music is historic, but they are now
contemporaries of our modern age. 

Follow them on their Facebook page here:

The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra