Lincolnshire Lindy Hop Clubs - Swing Dance in Lincolnshire

Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra

Glen Gray was born on the 7th June 1906 in Illinois.

He played saxophone in several orchestras in the mid twenties before forming Gray's Orange Blossoms Band in 1927. Later, the band became known as the Casa Loma Orchestra following a long engagement at Casa Loma in Toronto (although apparently this name came about only after the engagement had ended).

Unusually, the band operated as a co-operative collective.  This led to a very stable group of personnel who were less likely to be poached by other band leaders (something which was very common at the time).  Saxophonist Glen Gray eventually became the leader of the group having been selected by his band mates.

During the mid thirties, they regularly appeared on long running radio programme Camel Caravan which drove their popularity even higher.  

Casa Loma Stomp and No Name Jive were two well known and popular numbers for the band.

Although the band disbanded in 1947, it was reformed ten years later and worked as a Hollywood session band until 1963.  

Enjoy one of our favourites - No Name Jive - and see if you can sit still while the band swing hard.

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