Hotel Pennsylvania during the three years of Miller's great popularity as a major bandleader of the Swing Era. Glenn Miller and his Glenn Miller Orchestra broadcast multiple live radio performances from the Café; some were recorded by RCA Victor. Gray, Shaw's principal orchestrator from 1937–39, was immediately hired by Miller as a staff arranger when Shaw deserted his band; it was during Miller's 1940 engagement at the hotel that Gray wrote the popular instrumental tune that immortalized the Hotel's telephone number. The hotel's telephone number appears in the title of one of his best-known songs, "Pennsylvania 6-5000". Les Brown's band, with its
Glenn Miller discography band's there to greet us, Old friends there to meet us. Where the rich and the poor folks meet, let me take you down to Basin Street." Jack Teagarden explained how the lyrics were co-written with Glenn Miller in 1931: "I was home in New York the evening before the 'Basin Street Blues' record date when Glenn called me from his apartment in Jackson Heights. 'Jack, I think we could do a better job if we could put together some lyrics and you could sing it. Want to come over and see what we can do?'...We finally finished the job