|
 Glen
Gray, and the Casa Loma Orchestra. Although somewhat unknown and under
appreciated today, the Casa Loma Orchestra was one of the first "swing" bands of
the swing era, incorporated in 1929 as a co-op among the band members.
Glen Gray (Glen Gray "Spike" Knoblaugh, b. June 1906,
Roanoke, IL), a saxophonist with the band, was named
president of the group and was eventually designated as the group's leader on
the bandstand.
In the early 1930's, the band was supposedly one of the
few (if not the only) white big band orchestras playing music in a "hot" jazz
style, exposing younger, "hipper" audiences to this emerging, swinging style of
big band music. The band was especially popular in the north east with
college crowds, who at that time were largely unaware of the great black big
band orchestras.
The band's style was largely created by arranger Gene
Gifford, who favored a combination of riff driven, staccato based arrangements
played at fast tempos; and sentimental ballads and "pop" tunes of the day.
In 1933 and 1934 the band was featured on the Carmel
Caravan radio show, becoming one of the first "swing bands" to appear on
radio. By 1935, with the emergence of Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw and the
public's growing knowledge of and appreciation for the great black big bands of
Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford and Cab Calloway, the Casa Loma Orchestra was
no longer seen as a trendsetter. Although they remained popular in the
late 30's and early 40's, the band called it quits in 1945.
Although in hindsight the band's arrangements seem stiff
and too precise, it should not be forgotten that in the early 1930's the band
was indeed a trendsetter and introduced many an audience to a hot, swinging
style of jazz music that led to one of the greatest eras for American jazz
music.
In the mid 1950's Glen Gray was hired by Capital Records
to record a series of big band re-creations of not only Casa Loma songs but
other big band orchestras. The recordings were commercially successful
(and most are now available on CD). Glen Gray died of cancer in 1963.
Some of the famous tunes for Glen
Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra include "Casa Loma Stomp";
"Zig Zag"; "Come and Get It"; "Stompin' Around"; "No Name Jive"; and
"Smoke Rings", among many others. |
