When he was 13 years old, Gray organized a group known as Spike's Jazz Band. A graduate of Roanoke High School, he later attended Illinois Wesleyan University but left to work as a bill clerk for the Santa Fe Railroad. In the late 1920s Gray was playing saxophone in the Orange Blossoms Band. After performing at the Casa Loma Hotel in Toronto for eight months, the group incorporated in 1929 as a co-op in NYC as The Casa Loma Orchestra and began recording.
In the early 1930s, the Casa Loma Orchestra was one of the bands that paved the way for the rise in popularity of Big Band swing, becoming well-known with the college-age crowd and wowing audiences at schools in the Ivy League and the mid-west. The Casa Loma Band is credited as the first white big band with a deliberate jazz policy and sound. Although they played in a rather stiff and precise style, the Casa Loma Orchestra helped popularize the sound of Big Band jazz with a generation of white kids who were largely unaware of the great black jazz orchestras.
The Casa Loma Orchestra began to be billed under leader Glen Gray’s name in 1935. Two of the bands biggest-sellers were ballads; For You, as sung by Kenny Sargent, and the group's theme song, Smoke Rings. The band’s late 1930s and early 1940s recordings, such as Stompin’ Around, Come And Get It, Malady In F, Zig Zag, Swingtonic, and No Name Jive, still have great appeal. In 1940 Glen Gray was one of the winning bandleaders in Down Beat's All American Musicians Poll.
Gray stopped touring in 1950 due to ill health, but returned to the studio in 1956 to record a series of commercially-successful albums recreating the Big Band sound.
My Shining Hour
Glen Gray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Calm and happy and bright,
In my dreams your face will flower
Through the darkness of the night.
Like the lights of home before me,
Or an angel watching o'er me
This will be my shining hour,
Till I'm with you again.
In the song "My Shining Hour" by Glen Gray, the singer looks forward to a moment in their life where everything is calm, happy, and bright. They describe this moment as their shining hour, a time when they can rest assured that everything is as it should be. Even in the darkness of the night, the singer finds comfort and solace in dreaming of their loved one's face. This image is compared to an angel watching over them, or the familiar lights of home. It is clear that the singer finds comfort and safety in the memory of their loved one, and this shining hour serves as a source of hope and optimism until they are reunited.
Line by Line Meaning
This will be my shining hour,
This moment or period of time will be the most outstanding and brilliant in my life, something that I will always cherish.
Calm and happy and bright,
During this time, I will feel tranquil, content, and positive, surrounded by positivity.
In my dreams your face will flower
While I'm asleep, your face will emerge and bloom in my thoughts, making me feel elated and joyful.
Through the darkness of the night.
Even during the dark hours of the night, I will remain optimistic, knowing that there is something incredible waiting for me.
Like the lights of home before me,
As if I'm seeing the lights of my home from afar, I will envision a bright future, and that allows me to move through these tough times.
Or an angel watching o'er me
In this hour of mine, an angel or a divine force will take care of me, supporting me through my journey.
This will be my shining hour,
Reiterating that this moment will be epic, and no force can deter me from enjoying it.
Till I'm with you again.
I will bask in the glory of this shining hour until we meet once again, with anticipation that the next time will be just as bright and joyful.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Trombonology Erstwhile
The Casa Loma crew, once the favorites of the college crowd in the period before the Swing Era was officially launched, may have been old hat by this time, but they were still chugging along, creating beautiful records, as this treatment of a somewhat neglected gem by the famous Arlen-Mercer team, attests. I've always loved this band.
Trombonology Erstwhile
@Swingman 56 Glad to learn that you appreciate this beauty, too. By now, I'm not surprised!
Swingman 56
It's not neglected by me. A beautiful tune,and a lovely vocal by Miss Eugenie.
Harry Minot
Ahhh! This improved my morning!
K Hussein
NICE!