Six decades on, it remains enduringly popular and bands bearing his name continue to thrive on both sides of the Atlantic.

The UK version of the officially sanctioned Miller orchestras, led by Ray McVay, will make a return visit to Eden Court this weekend, evoking memories of an era when jazz was the dominant popular music of the day.

Purists may point to Ellington and Basie as the real leaders in the field, but nobody was more astutely attuned to the music's commercial possibilities than the bespectacled trombonist-turned-bandleader from Clarinda, Iowa.

The signature Glenn Miller approach was rooted in light but prodigiously swinging rhythms, sharply precise ensembles and intricate but easy-on-the-ear harmonies.

He favoured solid, well-disciplined players who could deliver the precise sound he wanted on the arrangements. The band's repertoire included a "hotter" riff-based swing style and a range of lush, very slow ballads, but the device most commonly identified as "the Glenn Miller sound" is built on a lead clarinet melody doubled an octave below by tenor saxophone, with the other saxophones, muted trumpets and trombones all adding soft-focus colour and harmony.

It is the trademark sound of "Moonlight Serenade" (the Miller band's signature tune), "String of Pearls", "Tuxedo Junction", "Little Brown Jug" and "In the Mood", to mention only a handful of the best known tunes. It has proved to be one of the classic inventions in 20th century music and one that McVay was determined to preserve in his own band.

"We have maintained the exact line-up devised by Glenn — five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones and three rhythm, plus a male and female vocalist and more importantly the right tonality, phrasing and sheer "feel" of Glenn Miller," he said.

As well as maintaining the standard Miller sectional structure in the band, McVay also continues Miller's tradition of featuring subsidiary bands within the show, the Moonlight Serenaders vocal group and the The Uptown Hall Gang, a Dixieland-oriented small group drawn from the ranks of the Orchestra.

Ray McVay leads the officially sanctioned UK version of the Glen Miller orchestra.

The band have access to over 200 scores in their library, including many arrangements drawn directly from the repertoire of both Miller's pre-war civilian big bands and his wartime Army-Air Force Orchestra. Part of the licensing deal that Ray struck with the Glenn Miller Estate included access to Miller's library of original material, ensuring that they were able to play his most famous music as closely as possible to the originals.

The library features contributions from some of the greatest names in big band arranging, including the likes of Jerry Gray, Norman Leyden, Billy May (who also played trumpet in the band) and Bill Finegan. While the established classics remain firmly at the centre of their show, McVay acknowledged that they have taken the opportunity to freshen up the repertoire as well.

"If anything, we believe that the authentic Glenn Miller music is now more popular than ever," he declared.

"We feel we owe it to Glenn to keep it that way, but over the years we have instituted some changes in the music that we think Glenn would have brought about himself were he still alive. The new additions have turned out wonderfully, and we've stayed true to his sound and style even when we've added new songs to the repertoire."

* The Glenn Miller Orchestra UK play at the Empire Theatre in Eden Court on Sunday.

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