Customer Reviews

Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Life and Times of the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra

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His success did not occur overnight. There were major setbacks along the way and at times Glenn Miller wondered if he would ever find "his sound". But in the spring of 1939 it finally happened! Glenn Miller and his Orchestra exploded onto the scene with appearances at the Meadowbrook in New Jersey and at the legendary Glen Island Casino in New Rochelle, NY. Almost overnight they became a cultural phenomenon. In a book that took nearly five years to put together, Richard Grudens has gone to great lengths to recreate the flavor of that Golden Era. Wonderfully written (in nice large print) and generously sprinkled with dozens of fascinating photographs, "Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a must read for anyone who is a fan of or is curious about the Big Band Era. Grudens discusses the history of the Miller outfit from all kinds of different perspectives. In the course of writing this book the author interviewed musicians from the original Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as some of the vocalists and arrangers from those golden days. There are also memories from booking agents, record company executives and disc jockeys. Read transcripts from "live" radio broadcasts and enjoy many recollections of the two movies the band appeared in. And then there is speculation over what really might have happened to Capt. Glenn Miller on December 15, 1944.
But fortunately the story did not end on that fateful night. The Glenn Miller Orchestra, using all of Glenn's original charts, was reorganized in 1956. It continues to this day under the direction of Larry O'Brien. Grudens brings us up to date with information on the members of the current orchestra. Quite coincidentally, my wife and I were able to catch a performance of the Glenn Miller Orchestra this past weekend. It was an absolute joy to see them and much to my surprise there were a lot of youngsters in the audience. I was even able to get my copy of this book autographed by featured vocalists Julia Rich and Nick Hilscher. Order your copy of this book through amazon.com or by calling PENNSYLVANIA 6-5000.

Being a life-long Glenn Miller fan, I gave this book to myself as a Christmas present. No one can top George T. Simon's definitive biography, so Richard Grudens doesn't try. After providing an overview of Glenn Miller the man, Grudens spends much of the rest of his book looking at those who worked with Miller and who followed in his musical footsteps. The many interviews and vignettes show just how far Glenn Miller's talent extended during the Swing Era and how his music is being preserved and reinterpreted today.

As others noted, many of those interviews are short but they cover a far wider range of personnel than any other work I've read. In addition to profiles of Miller stalwarts Tex Beneke, Paul Tanner, Ray McKinley and others, Grudens talked to many less well-known musicians. There's a page or so each devoted to sidemen like Skip Martin (reeds), Doc Goldberg (bass), Chummy MacGregor (piano), and even the obscure and peculiarly-named trumpeter Legh Knowles who later found greater fame as a vintner. Profiles of vocalists extend to the band's early days as backup for the Andrews Sisters (NBC wasn't sure whether Miller would be a hit [!!] so they wanted to add some "star power") as well as descriptions of what must have been incredible performances in 1944 England with guest singers Bing Crosby and Beryl Davis.

Grudens also goes beyond many other biographers by following the band's history up to the present day. He profiles American leaders from Tex to Larry O'Brien, and introduces those of us on this side of the Atlantic to the two European editions of today's Glenn Miller Orchestra that were organized to meet fans' continuing interest. There's also a section on many other groups that have no official connection to Glenn Miller Productions but also keep the music alive around the world.

If I have any nitpicks, it's because the ex-teacher in me can't resist "grading papers". For all of its loving presentation the book looks as if it had been rushed into print without a final editing. There are fatfingerings on almost every other page, a number of repeated gradeschool spelling errors (PLEASE, Mr. Grudens, ditch the apostrophes when writing plural nouns!) and a couple of factual gaffes that should have been caught easily - e.g. Bobby Hackett played the *cornet*, not clarinet.

My summary? Not a book that I'd recommend for anyone who's just finding out what Glenn Miller's music was - and is - all about, but it's definitely one that I'd recommend for anyone who already knows the basic story and wants to find out much more.

...but an interesting compliment to other more scholarly works about Glenn Miller. This book is a light hearted "vox-pop" with snapshots of the times through the medium of reports, posters, advertisements of the time, with short reminisences of key people who were there and glued together with enough about Glenn Miller to give it substance and relavence.

With all the good, detailed studies of Glenn Miller and his orchestra currently available, there exists no good reason to pick up this shallow glimpse of the man and his band.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of Glenn Miller's life, and the 60th anniversary of his disappearance over the English Channel, music biographer Richard Grudens presents Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Life And Times Of The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, a collection of true stories, interviews, over 150 black-and-white photographs, and more all presenting the successes, failurs, ups and downs of the most popular musical organization in the American history of show business. Following Miller's legendary career up to his tragic loss, and then going on to relate viewpoints and stories from many associated musicians, songwriters, arrangers, vocalists, and so much more, Chattanooga Choo Choo is packed cover to cover with facts, trivia, and insider perspectives. A gracious foreward by Kathryn Crosby rounds out this quality legacy highly recommended for fans of Glenn Miller's longstanding contribution to orchestra.

I am a Glenn Miller enthusiast and I absolutely adore this book. It exemplifies what a biography should be. It straight to the point and all the facts are present. If you want to learn about Glenn Miller, then this must be the book you get a hold of. An absolute MUST READ !!

This is a great book for fans of the Glenn Miller Orchesta. Richard Grudens gives the reader an inside look at one of American's musical institutions. The music of the Miller Orchestra literary jumps out at you, as you turn the pages. So put on a Glenn Miller album, sit in your favorite chair and relive the era with Richard Grudens. Like smoking a Chesterfield, you'll be satisfied!!!

This book is a terrific snapshot into an era where great music was born and is still loved and listened to today. I especially liked "The Scene: What It Was Like to Be There." The book wonderfully details, with a ton of great photos, Glenn Miller's influence throughout the world and the legacy he left behind, which is carried out through the Glenn Miller Orchestras that play world-wide to sold out audiences almost every day of the year somewhere. WOW - I didn't know that.