Army Air Force Band

"Real, live American music"--that's what bandleader Glenn Miller wanted to deliver to the troops fighting World War II. To him, the entertainment factor far outweighed the artistic one. As it turned out, he was able to succeed on both counts, delighting the troops with an Army Air Force Band as dynamic and versatile as any he ever led. Capt. Miller received his commission in October 1942, and his huge band--45 or more singers and musicians--was activated in March 1943. Though Miller was eager to entertain the troops overseas, the band wasn't actually shipped out until June 1944. The music on this well-rounded, four-disc set was recorded during this stateside tenure and comes primarily from two sources: nationwide I Sustain the Wings broadcasts and Uncle Sam Presents recordings made for the Office of War Information, which broadcast them to servicemen abroad (the one exception is the famous V-disc version of "The St. Louis Blues March," an attempt to give the men more-swinging marching material). Miller's crew moves with ease from vivacious swing and crafty blues to pop-ditty crooning and patriotic novelties to the beloved old-new-borrowed-blue medleys. --Marc Greilsamer

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