On the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s website, the legendary bandleader is credited with claiming, “A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality.” Adhering to his own adage, Miller instilled his eponymous ensemble with personality in spades. Soon after its inception in 1938, the swing group shot to popularity, getting fans on their feet with big-band hits such as “Tuxedo Junction” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” While the trombonist died in an apparent plane crash in 1944, his musical legacy lives on. Directed by the dapper Nick Hilscher (pictured), the orchestra’s current 18-member incarnation serves up Miller’s best-known songs alongside new music arranged in the composer’s classic style.
