Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra - Whoa Babe (1937)

A great treatment of the Larry Clinton classic. Check out The Ink Spots version of this from later in the year too.

Glen "Spike" Gray, one of the better, but lesser remember bandleaders in the big band era. Glen himself was a saxophonist too, and apart from his own shortly lived main orchestra, he was the leader of The Casa Loma Orchestra. An Orchestra of high respect and status from the late 1920s to the early 1950s. Being able to reach multiple audiences with both hot and sweet-romantic jazz in the beginnings, before slowly moving over to the more sweet and slower ballads and songs in the 1940s.

The Orchestra formed in 1929, as part of the a Canadian nightclub known as The Casa Loma, but unfortunately the club never opened. But the band was already formed, and so as a memorialistic decision, they decided to name the band the Casa Loma Orchestra. At this point, Glen was most of the time only the saxophonist. Hank Biagini was the original leader. After many engagements and building up their style, they would get their first records for Okeh late in the year. By 1931 they would also be gaining more attention, so Brunswick would record them as well, and getting some of their records re-released on Panachord in the UK, but by 1932, Brunswick won the favor of them, leaving Okeh only to release a few records by them afterwards. From then on they were on Brunswick. By 1933, Glen Gray became Biagini's successor and took over as leader. Because of this, the band would also be billed as Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra primarily there onwards. In 1934, Decca came over to the US, and the Orchestra became one of the many firsts on there. Though still with Brunswick, they would be almost solely on Decca by 1935. Also briefly getting some of their Brunswick sides released over in the UK on Columbia. They would keep recording on Decca until mid 1942 when The Petrillo Ban started. They were one of the bands that were able to record around the clock before the ban started, so Decca was able to release their stuff clear through 1943. During that time, they were able to record for our boys overseas on V-Disc. After the ban ended, they would get to resume recording in 1945. As the band started fading from popularity and into obscurity, they would record briefly for Mercury in 1946, and into 1947. But by 1952, they would be basically gone. Other members and ghost bands Glen Gray made over the years would record into the 60s though.

The Band had many hits over the years. Don't Get Around Much Anymore from 1943, Sunrise Serenade in 1939, Casa Loma Stomp in 1931, My Shining Hour in 1944, When I Grow Too Old To Dream in 1935, It's The Talk Of The Town in 1933, I Got My Heart Set On You in 1937, White Jazz in 1933, As Sweet As A Song in 1938, Do The New York in 1931, Blue Jazz in 1932, Under A Blanket Of Blue (possibly my favorite) in 1933. Learning in 1934, My Heart Tells Me in 1943, One Dozen Roses in 1942, and many more.

[ladycallidora]

This is an awesome arrangement. The instruments just blend in with each other effortlessly and the vocal is wonderful!!

[TheAloweWolf]

what a delicious and fast moving performance!!!! incredible instruments.. and a most amazing voice!!!! another marvelous piece .. that seems

[juliansshellacs]

Wow - what a great song and recording with Glen Gray and his Casa Loma Orchestra, one of my favorites!! 👍👍

[jyttethagaardnielsen]

Wow wow wow !!! Thank you very much for this lively melody I love this wonderful rhythm !!! Alas, I am not allowed to watch the B side "Study in brown" am sorry Greetings from Jytte

[AllMys]

Now, this has got me a jigging... :)