Jazz festival imports ‘In the Miller Mood’ big band show
The “In the Miller Mood” Big Band Show has been rehearsing for the international Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree on Oct. 18 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
“It’s very much in demand for any musical group to perform in this festival,” said Brenda Anthony, executive director for the show.
The Sun Valley festival will feature more than 40 bands and 200 musicians, and it is expected to draw 5,000 people from around the world, according to Anthony.
The show will be performed Saturday night in the largest venue, the Indoor Ice Rink, as one of the last performances of the festival, according to Anthony. The festival is paying for the lodging and transportation of the show and the more than 75 participants.
Stage manager Branden Israelsen said all the hotels in Sun Valley are completely booked during the festival because people come from all over.
“It’s mostly the older generation, because that’s their music,” he said.
Israelsen said another factor affecting the age group is the expense. On the Sun Valley festival website, a five-day all-events pass is more than $150, though there are discounts for high school and college students.
Larry Smith, the show’s orchestra director, attended the Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree years before, Anthony said. He suggested to Anthony that the show should perform at the festival, and she liked the idea. She made a call to the jamboree and the show was invited to participate.
The Sun Valley festival wanted the “In the Miller Mood” show because it’s not like any other group performing, according to Anthony. Some are dance groups, some sing and some are big bands.
“In the Miller Mood” is comprised of the band, 12 singers and six dancers. Half of the singers are students from USU, and one of the dancers is also a student. Jaron Putnam, a junior majoring in choral education, said he enjoys the opportunity to sing with a live big band and he’s very proud of everyone’s work, especially the singers he’s worked with.
The performance at the festival won’t be exactly the same as the Logan performance this past September. Margie Johnson, the rehearsal coach, said they eliminated some of the weaker songs, and five new numbers have been put in at the request of Sun Valley.
Some of the requested songs are “It Happened in Sun Valley” and “At Last,” which will be performed by Putnam. According to Israelson, Sun Valley also requested “Over the Rainbow,” which was sung a cappella in the Logan performance, be performed with the band.
Kenneth Bell, the show’s technical director, said he’s done a lot of advance work to take the show to Sun Valley. He’s already talked to the technical people in Sun Valley about the lighting, sound and staging. The show has to adjust to a smaller stage and he will add to the existing lighting when he gets to the venue.
Once in Sun Valley, the show will have two rehearsals before performing.
“In the Miller Mood” is a 1940s style show emphasizing the effect the music of Glenn Miller had on the morale of people during World War II, especially soldiers overseas listening to the armed forces radio, according to Anthony. It’s put on annually by the Celebrate America Show Corporation at USU.
The band, the dancers and the singers begin rehearsing se
parately once a month in February, according to Putnam. Rehearsals increase to four times a week one month before school starts. Johnson said they’ve known they would be performing in the Sun Valley festival since winter and began rehearsing for the festival as soon as the Logan show was over.
Twitter: @mburnett