He became known as "The Idol of the Air Lanes" in his heyday of the 1920s and 1930s, playing jazz in the vein of contemporaries such as Guy Lombardo.

During World War II, Garber began playing swing jazz, a rather unexpected turn; his arranger during this time was Gray Rains and his vocalist was Liz Tilton.

In 1927 he moved the band to Chicago and met Canadian bandleader and saxophonist Freddie Large.

While performing at the Trianon he received national attention when the shows were broadcast live over radio.

When he returned to music, he played again with Large and with Larry Owen, who had written arrangements for Lombardo.

[2] His sidemen included Chelsea Quealey, Al Powers, Benny Davis, Bill Hearn, Bill Kleeb, Bill Oblak, Charlie Ford, Don Korinek, Don Shoup, Doug Roe, Ernie Mathias, Frank Bettencourt, Frank MacCauley, Freddie Large, Fritz Heilbron, Harold Peppie, Harry Goldfield, Jack Barrow, Jack Motch, Jerry Large, Joe Rhodes, Lew Palmer, Memo Bernabei, Norman Donahue, Paul Weirick, Rudy Rudisill, Russ Brown, Ted Bowman, Tony Briglia, Vince Di Bari, and Walter Moore.

[2] He performed with vocalists Liz Tilton, Allan Copeland, Bob Allen, Bob Grabeau, Deanna St. Clair, Debby Claire, Dorothy Cordray, Fritz Helbron, Janis Garber, Judy Randall, Larry Dean, Lee Bennett, Marv Nielsen, Roy Cordell, Thelma Grace, Tim Reardon, Tommy Traynor, Tony Allen, and Virginia Hamilton.