This week's tune presents special challenges. For one, it's an instrumental, which pretty much takes away any oohing and aahing over vocals and lyrics. For two, I don't know jackshit about swing music, other than there was a dreadful swing revival in the late nineties (Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Squirrel Nut Zippers, et al) that was an opportunity for lame ass people to act even lamer. I mean I know what a saxophone or a trumpet or a trombone or a clarinet is, but when they're all playing together it's kind of hard to point one out and say, "Listen to that bitchin' trombone!"
Anyhoo, Glenn Miller was a big band leader and trombone player extraordinaire who enjoyed a brief burst of popularity in the late thirties and early forties. While there seems to be some disagreement among those who are experts on swing jazz as to his greatness, the world would never know: Miller joined the military in the early forties, ended up forming a band to play for the troops, and in December of 1944 the plane carrying him to a gig in Paris for his fellow soldiers disappeared over the English Channel and has never been found. Miller was 40 years old. His music, however, despite the rather short stay of the Glenn Miller Orchestra (1938-1942), has very much lived on and garnered a legion of fans.
Released as a single in 1939 (albums weren't to begin making headway until after the war) "In the Mood" is perhaps Miller's best known song though the depth of its popularity at the time will never be known--retail sales charts had yet to appear and the gold standard back in the day was sheet music sales (thank God that trend ended--the music business as we know it would have been long gone before I was born). "In the Mood" only got to #15 (one presumes with a bullet, but who knows?) on the sheet music charts but I'd be willing to bet there are a lot more folks who can just listen to music as opposed to those who can actually play it. The song would end up in the Grammy Hall of Fame as well as being inducted into the Library of Congress.
The best I can do as far as explaining the song is to tell you that whenever I hear it, the music enters through my fingers and toes, eventually invading my whole body, until I find myself bopping around as if I actually know how to bop around. It's a happy dance, feels so good, let's swing, shake shake shake you booty kind of song--if "In the Mood" doesn't put a smile on your face, you're probably in a coma.
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
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