GLENN MILLER SWINGS IN WALHALLA - MAY 25, 2006 
RE:  Walhalla Civic Auditorium
by Carroll Gambrell

In an era of blaring brass, rinky-dink pianos, and throbbing drums, a young orchestra leader named Glenn Miller was seeking ways to keep his head above water, his band together, and a unique sound.  He found sound and salvation by muting the brass, featuring the mellow sound of the trombone, and turning the lead over to the reeds.  By creating the unmistakable "Glenn Miller' sound, he lifted himself and his orchestra to an exalted position among the finest groups of the Big Band Era.

The career of Captain Glenn Miller ended in 1944 when his plane went down over the English Channel, but his musical heritage and memory lives on.  Thursday night, under the musical direction of Larry O'Brien, those same sounds came alive and reverberated throughout the Walhalla Civic Auditorium before a packed house of enthralled, enthusiastic music lovers.  For many a gray head, the years rolled away to the tune of Moonlight Serenade, Perfidia, Jukebox Saturday Night, and Little Brown Jug among scads of other immortal favorites from the Glenn Miller Library.  For the younger generation, it was a new experience.

One of the most arresting pieces was the mellow sound of O'Brien's trombone as he re-created in the Miller style the haunting strains of Danny Boy, a famous Irish tune, written by an Englishman, about a father's love for his son.  It evoked many a wet cheek and a standing ovation.  Miller's music is powerful.

The talent of the orchestra and singers under the direction of Larry O'Brien is truly remarkable.  WCA continues to bring outstanding performances to the area.

 
LETTER TO THE EDITOR - JULY 5, 2005
RE:  Watauga Democrat
Sent in by Dave Maban

Dear Editor:  I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the people at Appalachian State's Fathering Auditorium, The Appalachian Summer Festival, and Skybest Communications for bringing the Glenn Miller Orchestra to Boone.  It was certainly an evening filled with joyful and pleasant entertainment.

The pleasure of seeing musicians outfitted in dress shirts, pants, ties, jackets, and shined shoes was most refreshing.

The best, though, was the music.  There was not a synthesizer or an electrical instrument to be found.  The sound of those brass horns, accompanied by a flawless rhythm section, and talented vocalists, all produced their own electricity.  Not one lyric had a single thing to do with taking drugs, killing a cop, illicit sex, or beating one's wife/girlfriend.  All you heard was true class and talent.

Thanks again to all those who made this very special evening possible.


PERFORMANCE - MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2005
RE:  Glynn Academy Memorial Auditorium, Brunswick, GA
by Hank Orberg (horberg@bellsouth.net), The Press-Sentinel

  ‘At Last,’ another opportunity to hear Glenn Miller’s music comes my way.   I wasn’t alive during the halcyon days of the Big Band era, but that has never diminished my passion for the music of the late 1930s and early 1940s.  

  Monday night at Glynn Academy’s aging Memorial Auditorium, I went back in time. Men and women, now well into their 80s, had faraway looks in their eyes as they left the auditorium. As they walked to their cars, up in the sky was, appropriately, a full moon. Monday was a night for the signature “Moonlight Serenade.” For two hours Monday night, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, under the adroit direction of master trombonist Larry O’Brien, took those from the “Greatest Generation” back to the days of their youth.

  Sinatra was still a skinny boy singer with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and Betty Grable pinups were a favorite of our soldiers and sailors from Anzio to Guadalcanal when the Miller band flourished.
His was, arguably, the greatest of all the big bands. Earlier this month, the last remaining big-band superstar, Artie Shaw, passed away at age 94.  Dorsey, Miller, Benny Goodman and, now, Shaw. They all now belong to the ages.

  It was more than two-thirds of a century ago when a quiet-spoken, bespectacled trombonist from Clarinda, Iowa, discovered the formula–balancing a clarinet lead and accompanying saxophones with
a counterbalance provided by muted trombones–that led to his immortality.  Now more than 60 years after Glenn Miller disappeared on a wartime flight off the coast of England, his music endures, not only in the hearts and minds of those who danced and romanced under his spell, but in the succeeding generations.

  When colleague Drew Davis told me that the Glenn Miller Orchestra was to perform in Brunswick in a community concert, I immediately set in motion plans to see the performance.  As long as I can remember, Glenn Miller’s music was a fixture in my home.  My mother adored Miller’s music and it wasn’t unusual for her to grab a stack of those all-too-fragile 78 records and plop them on the changer on the old Sparton console radio.  It was back in the late 1950s when my mom and I went on our last vacation together–first to visit some of her friends in suburban Philadelphia and then on to Atlantic City.  Long before casinos changed the face of that old Jersey Shore resort, the Miss America pageant and big-name entertainment at the Steel Pier held sway.  By sheer happenstance, the Glenn Miller Orchestra was one of the featured attractions at the Steel Pier that week. Ray McKinley, who had been the drummer with Glenn Miller’s Army Air Force Band, led the band.

  I felt sorry for my mother.  She loved to dance, but her late-blooming son had no clue about the fox trot and the box step. I was painfully shy, and, besides, I would have been humiliated over having to dance with my mother.  There were times in recent years when the latest incarnation of the Glenn Miller Orchestra was in concert near her home in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, but she never managed to see them again.

  Her mortal life ended in August 2003, but Monday night at the old Glynn Academy auditorium, I felt her presence. I could hear her foot tapping to “Tuxedo Junction” and see a wistful smile dance across her face as the band played “At Last.” You know the opening lines–“At last my love has come along, my lonely days over and life is like a song.”

  Thanks to the kindness and generosity of “Steve” Stevens of the Brunswick Community Concert Association, two tickets were waiting for me.  Arriving more than two hours before the concert, I managed a short interview with O’Brien. Looking more like a man in his early 50s, the 71-year-old O’Brien still plays a strong trombone despite an exhausting itinerary.  I learned he had a direct link to Miller.  A few years after my mother and I saw McKinley lead the Miller band in Atlantic City, he joined the unit as a trombonist. Before settling in as the musical director some 20 years ago, he performed with the orchestras of Buddy Morrow, Billy May, Art Mooney and Ray Eberle.  
  
  Eberle was the featured male singer with Glenn Miller’s civilian band.  “I never really got to know Ray Eberle that well. We try to vary our playlist as much as we can. Right now, we’re somewhat limited in what we can play. We have five players who have been with the band less than two weeks. For example, ‘Serenade In Blue’ has a complex opening and they’re not quite ready to tackle that yet,” said O’Brien.  “We change the program every night, but we have to play the ‘golden oldies.’ We, of course, play music that wasn’t written when Glenn was alive. I’m sure he would have kept his music up with the times had he lived.”

  O’Brien is the one constant among the band’s ever-changing personnel.  Miller’s band from 1938 to 1942 featured Marion Hutton as the girl singer. Julia Rich handles that role to perfection.  Her version of “Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead” from the film, The Wizard of Oz, was quite the crowd-pleaser. Her engaging stage presence effectively evoked the spirit of those oh-so-feminine singers from that era.

  In a recent interview, O’Brien said, “It seems that good things just don’t ever die. Rather, they age gracefully and mellow with the years.”  In another generation, all of those who jitterbugged and foxtrotted to Glenn Miller will be gone. But his lush, inimitable music will endure.

 

Glenn Miller Orchestra - Los Angeles, CA - April 2, 2003 
By George Spink

I had the pleasure of hearing Larry O'Brien and the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara last night. It was the band's first engagement at the Lobero in seven years. Once again, the Lobero was sold out.

I've only heard Larry and the band once before, when I booked them to perform at a Chicago Neighborhood Festival in 1982 while I served as assistant director of the Mayor's Office of Special Events. By contrast, I heard Jimmy Henderson and the GMO about half a dozen times in the late 1970s. And I heard Ray McKinley and the GMO in the late 1950s.

Two years ago, I heard the Alumni Association Big Band perform for 1,000 swing dancers in Los Angeles. These veteran studio musicians played Miller charts like I've never heard them played before--until last night in Santa Barbara.

The 680-seat Lobero Theater opened in 1924. Designed right in the first place, renovations over the years have only enhanced its wonderful acoustics. The only mikes Larry used were for the vocalists, soloists, and his intros and comments. That was all that were needed.

I talked briefly with musical director and trombonist Larry O'Brien after the concert, telling him how much I enjoyed the band, the singers, and him. The high-caliber of the band's musicianship came through on every number. Even the newest member, the 17-year-old baritone sax player, sounded fine. And he's only been with the band for a week or so!

The band sounded terrific on both vocals and instrumentals.

Julia Rich and Nick Hilscher are fine vocalists. I spoke with both during intermission when I purchased their CDs. Everything Julia sang illustrated what a great vocalist she is, especially I'll Take Romance.

Nick included It's Always You on his album, one of my favorite songs. He said he often sings it with the band, but he didn't last night. Maybe next time. I liked Rick's rendition of Mam'selle, an AEF Band number. He also sang the extended version of At Last from Orchestra Wives, another of my favorites.

I really enjoyed the AEF Band arrangement of Passage Interdit, which I've never heard performed live before. And, of course, their renditions of Miller chestnuts Moonlight Serenade, In The Mood, Tuxedo Junction, and American Patrol—so timely—brought down the house after each song.

Another of the evenings many highlights was when when the band played Ted Heath's arrangement of Stardust instead of the beautiful Miller version. It was a joy to hear!

Let's hope the Lobero Theater won't wait another seven years to bring this marvelous band back!


The Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of Larry O'Brien, gave dancers at Feather Falls Casino in Oroville, CA, a "Moonlight Serenade" on March 15, 2002.  The band displayed the authentic Miller sound coupled with superb musicianship and great showmanship.  To read more about this review and to view photos click here:  Jazz Review


Glenn Miller Orchestra - Cairo, Georgia - February 15, 2002
As strains of the familiar "Moonlight Serenade" filled the high school auditorium and opened the concert, the audience burst into applause. Although Glenn Miller is not with us anymore, his music is. He was able to bring the joy of music to thousands of people during his lifetime, and the recordings of his music still evoke those same feelings today. The fascination of his music remains and continues to inspire enthusiasm in young and old alike.  To read more about this review and to view photos click here:  http://www.valdosta.edu/~pcburns/miller.htm


Miller Orchestra Moved Crowd at Moraine
RE:  September 28, 2001, Moraine Valley Community College, 
Fine Arts Performing Center
Palos Hills, IL
by Dimka Atanssova

An outstanding event occurred at Moraine Valley on September 22, 2001.

The sensational Glenn Miller Orchestra, America's big-name headliner in the Big-Band Swing era, touring worldwide in homage to its namesake, was back for a spectacular encore. Since the Fine Arts Performing Center opened in 1994, this was its third star performance.

The drawing power of Miller's music, for more than half a century has mesmerized a world and cut across barriers of age.  Last Saturday's concert broke a record-setting attendance in the Dorothy Menker Theater.  The 600-seat hall was filled to capacity.  "Kids" from age 17 to 70 plus were eagerly anticipating jazz and swing; America's leading big band orchestra put them in the grove with its crowd warming rendition of "Anvil  Chorus."

In these trying times, the GMO epitomized the essential part of the undying spirit of America.  At Moraine, the band was at its beautiful best, as it has always been and will be.

Glenn Miller Orchestra Smooth, Sharp, Perfect
RE:  August 24, 2001
Kerrville, TX
by Jeff Davis

The Glenn Miller Orchestra experience Friday night in Kerrville was awesome.

The music was smooth as honey, sharp as a tack and oh so classy.

From a beautiful opening "Moonlight Serenade," they jumped into a fast-paced evening of jazz, swing, timeless classics and traditional big-band numbers.

By the end of the second song, you knew beyond a doubt you had the best ticket in Texas this night.  Soloists were at the top of their game, and together the 19 member ensemble proved why they're still the most sought-after big band in the world.

 

Glenn Miller Orchestra Still Has That Swing
RE:  April 23, 2001, Packard Music Hall and Convention Center
Warren, OH
by Patty Kimerer

As strains of the familiar "Moonlight Serenade" filled the hall and opened the concert, the audience burst into applause, proving that it was in the mood.

And the band delivered.  O'Brien conducted the band of five saxophonists, four trumpeters, four trombonists, a pianist, a bassist and a drummer to swinging impeccability.  

One Miller hit after another flowed like spring rain.

"Little Brown Jug," "At Last," "Tuxedo Junction" and "A String of Pearls" served as mere crowd-warmers.

O'Brien lent his slide trombone expertise to a few numbers and teased that the Sharon, PA., audience responded more loudly when he asked them to sing the chorus of "Pennsylvania 60500."

The Glenn Miller Orchestra, owned by Glenn Miller Productions, Inc. under license from the Miller estate, has been in existence since Miller founded the band in 1938.  The band tours worldwide in homage to its namesake, who dedicated his life to his unique musical sound.

Heads were bopping and toes were tapping through the duration of Monday night's show, which lasted for two hours.

From the patriotic "American Patrol" (which O'Brien dedicated to veterans in attendance) to the spirited "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," Miller's particular mix of jazz, swing and big band styles shone through.

And though one of the last numbers was entitled "Everybody Loves My Baby," it was apparent from the Packard Hall crowd's reaction to the performance that everybody still loves Glenn Miller.
  

Concert Brings Back 'Stardust' Memories
RE:  July 28, 2000, Dutchman's Landing
Catskill, NY
by Raymond Pignone

One woman arrived at 3 in the afternoon to get a good seat.  A man once rode 16 miles on a bicycle to hear them.  Many more took a little stroll down memory lane.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra put 'em in the mood.

More than 1,200 people - a record-setting audience - carried folding chairs, picnics and umbrellas to the park at Dutchmen's Landing for the biggest event in the three-year history of the Music in the Park series.

The estimated attendance easily shattered the mark set only last week by the country-rock group Mirage, according to the Heart of Catskill Association, which present Thursday's concert.

The music evoked romance, patriotism and the city at night, and it dated from the 1940's, but big-band swing is a young man's game.

Anyone expecting to see a band of graying old men on the stage was in for a surprise.

The average age of the musicians in the Glenn Miller Orchestra is a remarkably youthful 28 1/2.

"They looked like a rock band when I saw them for the first time," HOCA board member and concert coordinator Angelo Ruggiero said.

Rain threatened to fall all evening, but Mother Nature smiled on the scene, cheered in some mystical way by the vibe that emerged before the show began.

People clapped their hands and tapped their feet to the rhythms of the soundcheck as the band ran through a quick medley of Miller standards, one row of musicians at a time.  Some people sang along with a fast clip of "Perfidia."

Frank Carbone of Coxsackie is the closest thing to a guest of honor Thursday.  He is the brother of Vince Carbone, tenor sax player with the original Glenn Miller Army and Air Force Band.  Loud applause is heard when Frank is introduced onstage by HOCA officials.

"This is great, this is my era," Wallace said.  "The music is still fresh after all these years.  That's why it's classic.  Rock 'n roll doesn't turn me on.  That's not music.  Glenn Miller is real music.

With swing in a mini-renaissance thanks to arena-rock bands such as the Brian Setzer Orchestra, the music cuts across barriers of age.

Jason Reilly, 18, of Catskill, just enlisted in the Navy and went to the concert with friends and family.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra is on the road an astonishing 48 weeks a yar, a touring schedule that would make the most vital young rock band blanch.  The band has played as many as 15 dates in a 14-day period.

     

Memories fill Ramblers Ranch
Glenn Miller Orchestra show rekindles sounds of another era
RE:  July 26, 2000, Ramblers Ranch
Jim Thorpe, PA
by Ron Gowers

Music from a previous era was played live yesterday at Ramblers Ranch in Jim Thorpe.

About 500 people - a sell-out crowd for the dinner-dance - were present for a concert by the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Alton Glenn Miller, who performed professionally as Glenn Miller, was a trombone player, arranger, and band leader of the late 1930s and early 1940s.  He died at the age of 40 in a plane crash over the English Channel.

Obviously none of the members of the Glenn Miller Orchestra actually had performed with Miller.  Still, it was a nostalgic journey for the audience which was comprised of many senior citizens.

Irene Hudasky of Lansford summed up the feelings of most audience members:  "The music was very good but the show was too short."

For over an hour, the Glenn Miller Orchestra played such tunes as "Moonlight Serenade," "In The Mood," and "Adios."

Among the featured soloists in the 19-memeber group was a Pennsylvania man, Dylan Schwab of Pottstown, who was superb as a trumpeter.  He is one of only two Pennsylvania residents in the band.  The other is drummer Gregory Parnell of Vandergrift.

Many audience members danced waltzes, cha-chas, and jitterbugs to the beat of the big band music.  Miller, originally from Clarinda, Iowa, became a hit by adding a unique formula to his group.  He created a unique sound by having the clarinet hold the melodic line while the tenor sax plays the same note, and is supported harmonically by three other saxophones.

This still sets the Glenn Miller Orchestra apart from other big bands and was utilized during the Ramblers performance.

Two talented vocalists added a perfect ingredient.

Julia Rich of Nashville, who is the band's road manager, sang two original songs.  Bryan Montemarano of Spring, Texas got deserved loud applause for his rendition of the beautiful ballad, "The White Cliffs of Dover."

The two singers were a duet as they sang the World War II hit, "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)."

"It was very good," said Alex Shereba of Lansford, regarding the show.

 

GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA TURNS BACK TIME AT BRISTOL'S PARAMOUNT
RE:  February 17, 2000, Bristol Paramount Center
Bristol, VA
by Joe Tennis

Larry O'Brien and the Glenn Miller Orchestra made Bristol's Paramount Center seem young again Tuesday with a ride on the "Chattanooga Choo Choo."

The 19-piece group - including male and female singers - performed the 1941 million-seller in stellar fashion.

Tuesday's "Moonlight Serenade" by the youthful members of the present-day Glenn Miller Orchestra was not purely a time trip to those days of World War II, when the late Glenn Miller's band ruled the record charts and anchored the airwaves until Miller's airplane disappeared and he was presumed dead in 1944.

O'Brien 0 a lively, toe-tapping 66-year-old conductor who cut his musical teeth playing trombone in the 1960's with members of Miller's original orchestra - also managed to squeeze more contemporary material into the show.

Even so, practically all of it sounded Millerized - forceful and bright.

On the old stuff, too, O'Brien proved he had a knack for keeping things fresh.

Soon into the first set, Nashville singer Julia Rich sauntered onto the stage in a sparkling dress to croon the playful "I'll Take Romance," the tile song of her new album.

Rich's voice sounded richer - more upscale - than the light-hearted vocals of Marion Hutton, who sang with the original Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Fronting the present-day group - a band of "fine young men," as O'Brien put it - is an army of woodwind musicians playing primarily saxophones but also the occasional clarinet and flute.  On the side is a pianist, bass player and jazz drummer Greg Parnell.

Though very much an ensemble act, O'Brien's arrangements naturally allow space for solos by every player onstage.

 

ORCHESTRA HONORS MILLER'S MEMORY
RE:  February 3, 2000, Page Hall
Albany, NY
by Michael Eck

All the Glenn Miller Orchestra players who pulled into Page Hall for two shows on Tuesday, save perhaps leader Larry O'Brien, were born long after Miller himself was just a memory.  The young lions kept the flame alive though, and blasted out two sets of classic big band jazz for a happy evening crowd.

As would be expected the group stuck mostly to standards - tunes that defined the era, like "Little Brown Jug" and "Pennsylvania 6-500."  They also stuck to time-tested arrangements, marking many melodies with Miller's trademark of putting the clarinet above and echoing, the sax line.   "The Anvil Chorus" clanged, "Tuxedo Junction" jazzed and "Rhapsody in Blue" shimmered like Gershwin meant it to.

 

GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA SHOW A REAL TREAT
RE:  January 29, 2000, Gahanna, OH
by David Weltner

As Gahanna Concerts Inc. promised, the Glenn Miller Orchestra was everything - and more.

A packed and appreciative house turned out on Saturday, Jan. 29, on a wintry night to relive the 1940's and listen to familiar arrangements of the Glenn Miller era.

On tour since its formation in 1956, the 19-piece orchestra continues to perform at concerts and dances throughout the United States and the world.

One of the reasons the "new age" versions of older bands sound so good is because they have young, very talented musicians who have had the advantage of being trained at some of the most prestigious music schools in the country.

In the 1930's and 1940's, most band members were recruited straight from high school and learned from experience "on the road."

The two-hour show was very fast-paced, with a minimum of conversation.  A total of 27 numbers gave the audience a wide variety of old favorites plus some new ones.

The sound and light were very well done and the attendees went out to brush snow off their cars humming, singing and whistling those grand old favorites.

 

SELL-OUT CROWD SWINGS WITH GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
RE:  January 20, 2000, Chrysler Hall
by Frank Roberts

On Saturday, Norfolk was in the mood for "In the Mood."

The anticipation of hearing that and other Glenn Miller classics resulted in a sell-out crowd at Chrysler Hall.

The most exciting, from a "jump" standpoint, was "Tuxedo Junction."  It is part of Americana, as are all of the band's songs, including "Pennsylvania 6-500," "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," " Little Brown Jug" and "String of Pearls."

On Saturday, those arrangements were heard once again, this time with the expert help of the Virginia Symphony, which aided and abetted on such pieces as "Begin the Beguine," "Adios" and, of course, "The St. Louis Blues March."

It was an evening that made you realize why the Virginia Symphony is the constant recipient of rave reviews, and why the Glenn Miller Orchestra is still the world's most popular big band.

 

BIG BAND MUSIC SWINGS IN ROCHESTER
RE:  November 19, 1999, Rochester Opera House
Rochester, NH
by Kimberly Letteer

There was a packed house Friday night at the Rochester Opera House as fans listened to the famous Glenn Miller Orchestra perform.

Extra chairs had to be placed in the rear of the auditorium as people kept pouring in to hear the lively orchestra led by Larry O'Brien.

Show tunes and Broadway songs such as "Island of Golden Dreams," "I'm Old Fashioned" and "Goody Goody" kept the packed audience clapping.  Two of the most enthusiastic songs performed were "Juke Box Saturday Night" and "Pennsylvania Six Five-Thousand."

O'Brien introduced the classic juke box song by asking the audience to remember the good old days when cigarettes were 18 cents a pack and gasoline was only 17 cents a gallon.

Ballads such as "I'm Old Fashioned," and "The Trouble with Hello is Goodbye," also were appreciated by the nearly 800 people who attended the show.
  

GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA DELIGHTS PACKED OPERA HOUSE
RE:  November 20, 1999, Claremont Opera House
Claremont, NH
by Sharon Wood

When the Glenn Miller Orchestra came to Claremont three years ago, their sold out show was the kick-off for the Opera House's 100th Anniversary Season. 

In an article that ran a few days before the performance, we wrote that anyone who didn't already have a ticket might have to "wait until next time."  Saturday night was that "next time" and once again the house was packed.

There's never any need for a warm-up band to open the show when this group performs.  Cheers went up as the curtain opened and band leader Larry O'Brien stepped across the stage.  One chorus of their well known theme song, "In the Mood," followed by "Blue Skies" and a playful version of "Little Brown Jug" had this audience spontaneously clapping along.

We described O'Brien's style as "casual" after seeing him in action for the first time in '96.  As musical director, he's succeeded in creating a band of musicians that appear to almost direct themselves.  He doesn't stand center stage and conduct in the traditional sense, but off to the side, keeping time with foot tapping, fingers snapping or hands clapping to the beat, his body dancing to the music.  An occasional gesture signals a change in dynamics or a solo to be played.

With their sound system turned off to demonstrate the Opera House's renowned acoustics, the orchestra played Miller's own arrangement of "Danny Boy."  This was followed by a rousing "In the Mood" and their trademark ending, a short chorus of "Moonlight Serenade."  In his closing remarks, O'Brien expressed a desire to come back for another show someday.

If they do return, we'd like to be there too.

KEYSTONE KOMMENTS
RE:  I'll Take Romance by Julia Rich
by Tom Phillips

For the millions of fans around the globe of the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, the name will be a familiar one.  Like director Larry O'Brien, Julia returned to the band a few years ago after a brief respite from the road.  Shortly after her return as featured solo girl singer, and one of the vocal group, the "Moonlight Serenaders", she assumed the additional duties of Road Manager.  It was this plurality of talent that inspired my column several years ago, WONDER WOMAN:  DON'T LET JULIA FOOL YA! - pointing out that she was far more than just a pretty face with a captivating voice.

But while the name and voice are familiar, her debut CD as a "single" exposes a far greater depth of talent than is displayed on 3 or 4 numbers in front of the band during a concert, or a couple of tunes per set at a dance gig.  I love the big band charts she does with GMO.  She's equally at home with the tunes or ballads, and her cutesy mannerisms with the SERENADERS are appreciated by all her fans.  But it is the intimacy of the small group setting that gives her a chance to caress a ballad in a way that makes the listener feel like you're dancing, late in the evening, lights low, just a few couples on the floor, and she's singing in your ear, just to you.

This album is a MUST for fans of the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra (under the direction of Larry O'Brien) who are already familiar with Julia's work with the band.  It will show you a more personal side, and a broader range of her ability in the small group setting.  Happily, those in charge of Glenn Miller Productions, Inc., are supporting her efforts, and for those of you high-tech types on the Internet, go to their website:www.glennmillerorchestra.com and order from there, or if you are lo-tech, call the office at 407-585-2020 to place your order.  You can also order the band's other CDs, and videos.

NOTES OF INTEREST
Glenn Miller clue costs fan and bidder $35,000

 London - An American fan of bandleader Glenn Miller paid $35,000 Tuesday for a military logbook that holds a clue to Miller's mysterious disappearance aboard an airplane during World War II.  "I've never done anything like this in my life," said William Suitts, 76, a businessman from Boulder, Colo., who bid for the book by telephone to Sotheby's auction house.   Glenn Miller led one of the most popular "swing" bands of the 1930s and '40s.  He was at the height of his fame when an airplane carrying him disappeared over the English Channel on a foggy December day in 1944.  A bomber's flight log suggests Miller's plane was downed by jettisoned bombs.

COMMUNITY TREATED TO TOUCH
OF GREATNESS
 East Liverpool, OH Review - March 22, 1998
by Artis Calhoun

"The performance Thursday of the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Westgate Auditorium, sponsored by the Westgage Culture Club, was truly fantastic.

Comments heard at the intermission and following the show stressed the pleasure and quality of the ensemble as well as the orchestra itself.

From "Moonlight Serenade," the orchestra's theme song, to "Chattanooga Choo Choo," which received the first ever Gold Record awarded in 1941, to "St. Louis Blues March" to "American Patrol" and on to the encore, "Cherokee," the Glenn Miller rendition of favorite familiar melodies was SOOOO SMOOOOOTH.

This was 'real music,' and the students in our schools appeared thoroughly engrossed and expressed their joy and being exposed to the quality sound.

It brought back memories of school days.  The young girls giggled and screamed when Nick Hilscher sang and the boys perked up when Julia Rich sang.   Larry O'Brien, the director, certainly was an energetic and excellent performer who demonstrated he was no stranger to work.  And, he showed his pride in the performers as he featured their talents and introduced them to the audience.  It seems part of the pleasure in musical programs is the obvious joy of the entertainers in their work.

Fortunate indeed is East Liverpool to have been included in the Orchestra's schedule this year.  And even more fortunate, those among the sold-out crowd."

 

GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
ONCE AGAIN A DELIGHT
Midland, MI News - September 21, 1998
by Yvette Birs Crandall

"A wonderful crowd of people came out to see and hear, many for the first time, the music and style of the legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra on Saturday evening.  A packed house at the Midland Center for the Arts auditorium included an almost even mix of seniors who came to relive their past, baby boomers who may have missed that sound, young children with their parents, and most importantly, a large number of teens and 20 year olds who are now discovering that "swing" is back.

Conducted by Larry O'Brien, the orchestra met all expectations.   The sound was there.  The style was there.  The mix was there.  It was evident from the start that this was an orchestra of exceptional depth.

Adding to the evening's entertainment were two very fine singers.   Larry O'Brien and the Glenn Miller Orchestra were truly playing as if Miller was still here today.  The original sound is there.  The hot tempos and intricate free style of the improvisations and solo work.  They blew the house down one minute and were soft as a whisper the next.

A standing ovation brought one spectacular encore, "Bugle Call Rag."  When it was over all one could do was say "Wow!""

 

THE GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
directed by LARRY O'BRIEN
Big Bands International No. 85 - November 1998
by Robert J. Robbins, BBI USA Secretary

"At this concert which attracted a capacity crowd to the Ocean City Music Pier..., the current edition of the Miller aggregation, under the expert leadership of ace trombonist Larry O'Brien, proved that the Miller sound triumphantly survives in the computer age.  As it has during the past forty-odd years, the Miller band presented the finest in young musical talent.  Drummer Greg Parnell kept the band on a firmly swinging course when not soloing on such warhorses as "American Patrol" and "Bugle Call Rag."

Now in its eleventh consecutive year under O'Brien's direction the Glenn Miller Orchestra remains undiminished in keeping the Miller flame burning brightly."

 

GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
LARRY O'BRIEN - Musical Director
Big Bands International No. 83 - May 1998
by Kenneth R. Jensen

Norris Theater for Performing Arts, Palos Verdes, California

"That Glenn Miller's music can evoke warm waves of nostalgia, has been an international phenomenon for more than half a century.  And when it is played by brilliant young musicians under the direction of a master leader and player, it reconfirms that Miller's music has no time limitations.  The Glenn Miller Orchestra, conducted by musical director, Larry O'Brien, was in spectacular form on March 5th....   Precision, intonation, phasing, dynamics and perfect tempos have been the hallmarks of the Miller band since its inception.  In addition to those attributes, this 1998 edition of the band really swings!  Led by a flawless rhythm section, the rest of the band jumped aboard and proved that players in their twenties can bring the fire of youth to charts more than five decades old.  The Miller standards expected by the audience were fresh and bright.  O'Brien has the youngsters playing these familiar charts with young, vigorous ideas.  "String Of Pearls," "In The Mood," "Tuxedo Junction," "Serenade In Blue" and "Pennsylvania Six Five Thousand" were welcomed as old friends with fresh luster.  The 1998 edition of the Glenn Miller Orchestra with musical director Larry O'Brien should be included on your "must see" list."

 

MILLER'S MUSIC MAKES MAGICAL MEMORIES
Times, Cullman AL - September 20, 1998
by Ed Darling

"If you weren't among the large turnout in Wallace State's marvelous auditorium, you missed a treat.

Those golden big band sounds, terrific in the 1930's and 40's, are no less impressive today.  Favorites drew quick applause, toe-tapping and finger-snapping accompaniments.

Musical director Larry O'Brien controlled the evening's flow, directing the ensemble, teasing the audience, tending to tiny on-stage details, playing some truly smooth trombone himself.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra sounds remain as pure as they obviously were decades ago.  Hearing them in person was a pleasure."
  

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