In 1978 the orchestra leader Wil Salden began his Glenn Miller studies. Wil Salden adopted Glenn Millerís magic formular: "Every bandleader or arranger dreams of creating a new and unmistakable sound that is immediately recognizable after the first few bars". Wil Salden took this small stroke of genius to heart when he was setting up his orchestra. Here, the recognizable sound is based on two alto saxophones, two tenor saxophones and a clarinet. According to rumor, the Glenn Miller sound came about by chance. During a performance, the first trumpeter injured his lip and the clarinet had to take over the trumpet part and so the Miller sound was born.
Wil Salden: "With us, as with Glenn Miller, the clarinet plays the lead and is accompanied an octave lower by the second tenor saxophone. The accompaniment, played by two alto saxophones and the first tenor saxophone, stays within the octave between the clarinet and the second tenor saxophone. Since the lead clarinet dominates the alto saxophone, the saxophone section seems half an octave higher. In this way it is possible to play the patterns below the saxophone section." Wil Salden is a perfectionist who demands the same perfection from every member of his orchestra. His orchestra was nurtured carefully and is, due to its numerous tours and television and radio appearances, one of the most popular orchestras in the world. His schedule is always full of concerts, interviews, PR work, arrangements, appearances on television and radio, accompanying other artists and organizing tours.
On March 16th, 1990, a special event took place at Broadway New York. The president of Glenn Miller Productions, Inc., Mr. David Mackay, Jr., New York, USA, appointed Wil Salden as leader of the Glenn Miller Orchestra for Europe.