Klarinet Archive - Posting 000538.txt from 1997/03

From: Michael Andrew Cassara <99casmic@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Glenn Miller Band [more...]
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 00:29:10 -0500

Hi everyone,

>Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 22:54:15 -0500
>From: "Frederick S. Sterns" <fssterns@-----.NET>
>Subject: Re: Glenn Miller Band [more...]
>
>...for those interested in exploring further the "Miller sound," its
>origin, history, etc...permit me to recommend the following sources:
>
>[1] Gunther Schuller, in his thoroughly researched nine hundred page volume
>"The Swing Era" [Oxford University Press, 1989] states in a footnote on
>page 668 that Ellington and Gene Gifford, much earlier, had used the same
>voicing [clarinet lead with a tenor doubling the lead an octave
>lower]...thereby allowing, if not compelling the inference that Miller and
>his other arrangers copied this style from those innovators.

Exactly right! I had no idea Schuller wrote such a volume, I'll have to get
a copy. I've always heard *some* early Ellington in Miller charts but would
not draw a comparison. I happen to prefer Ellington to Miller and Barney
Bigard to Wilbur Schwartz - personal opinion - although there is something
to be said for who was first.
Also, look into Fletcher Henderson of the mid to late twenties and compare
with Benny Goodman of the mid to late thirties. Yes, Henderson was an
arranger with BG but he's not really credited for his influence (nor could
he be). While I don't have the records here there are some recordings
around in which you can compare: I believe it was a late 20's Henderson
record and a late 30's BG album. The BG band is playing written solos as
played ten years before.

Looking forward to further discussion.

The Jazz Clarinet Homepage - Http://www.en.com/users/cassara/clarinet

Mike
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Michael A. Cassara 99casmic@-----.edu
Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio Http://www.hawken.edu
My homepage: Http://www.en.com/users/cassara
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