Word Association Wednesday: Crossing the River to the "Blues March"

It’s Wednesday, so time for some more word association! 

Duke Ellington’s East St. Louis Toodle-O naturally makes me think of the "other" side of the river—St. Louis, Missouri. From there, it’s a short ride on the train of thought to the W.C. Handy classic St. Louis Blues, and an even shorter trip to the St. Louis Blues March, the famous Jerry Gray arrangement that became a powerhouse for Glenn Miller’s AAF (Army Air Force) Band.

So, let’s give it a spin:

The Strike-Breaker: The V-Disc Loophole

That comes from a special V-Disc recording session. This session was allowed to happen even though it was 1943—smack-dab in the middle of the infamous AFM recording ban.

While the rest of the music world was silenced by the strike, V-Discs were exempt because they were intended for military use only. They were the only "new" sounds the GIs had, and they weren't available for commercial sale. It gave the AAF band a "sonic monopoly" that cemented this arrangement as a legend.

The Sergeant on the Skins

Being a march, the rhythm is everything. That relentless, crisp cadence is provided by drummer Ray McKinley. At this point, Ray was a Technical Sergeant under his old friend (and now Captain) Glenn Miller.

McKinley’s precision here is staggering. He had to take a blues song—something meant for a smoky basement—and turn it into something 1,000 men could march to without breaking stride. He doesn't just play the drums; he commands them.

The Post-War Strut: Tex Beneke (1948)

Ray McKinley eventually took over the Miller Orchestra in the mid-1950s, but Tex Beneke was the man who first carried the torch right after the war. In late 1947, Tex cut this version of the "St. Louis Blues March" for RCA Victor, this time featuring drummer Jack Sperling in the hot seat.

This is a classic case of a sprawling AAF arrangement needing to be "trimmed for the tailor"—cut down to fit the 3-minute time constraints of a 10-inch 78rpm record. Even with the edits, 1948 listeners were thrilled to finally own a commercial copy of the tune they’d heard on the radio during the war. It was a massive hit for Tex, though, in the Warehouse, we know you still can’t beat that original AAF V-Disc.

A clear victory for the Sergeant!