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Big Band

 
 

Description of Big Band

 
Though mostly associated with the Swing era, big bands have been a part of every period in jazz. Count Basie's outfit defined Swing in the freewheeling 1940s and the streamlined '50s. Duke Ellington worked in popular music but used his orchestra to explore many artistic directions. Shorty Rogers led a Cool big band, and Dizzy Gillespie led a dynamic Bop orchestra. Gil Evans gained fame by backing Miles Davis with his sweeping tonal colors while the Soul Jazz sound of Jimmy Smith hit the charts with the help of booming ensembles. The great expense of keeping big bands together has made them rare in modern times, but rekindled interest in the Swing era has numerous regional orchestras keeping the tradition alive.
 

Big Band Key Tracks

 
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Play/Add Track Artist
1. Take The "A" Train Duke Ellington
2. Li'l Darlin' Count Basie
3. Woodchopper's Ball Woody Herman
4. Embraceable You Claude Thornhill
5. Mr. Lucky Buddy Rich
6. Diminuendo In Blue And Crescendo In Blue - (live) Duke Ellington
7. Misty Stan Kenton

Subgenres

 

Filed Under

 
Jazz  >  Big Band
 

Big Band Key Artists

 
Artie Shaw

Sophisticated jazz
clarinetist whose sound and
band rivaled the harder
swinging Benny Goodman in
popularity. During the Swi...

Count Basie

From his early Kansas City
days to his Atomic period,
Basie led the hardest
swinging jazz band in
history. Basie and his ban...

Duke Ellington

Ellington revolutionized jazz
and pop music; he's on the
short list of the twentieth
century's greatest artists.
Ellington often wrote tun...

Fletcher Henderson

Not only did Henderson
lead the first great big band,
he also helped define the
sound of the Swing era.
Henderson's band includ...

Glenn Miller

Miller may not have had the
hottest Big Band around,
but his outfit was the most
popular of the Swing era.
Miller's era-defining Swing...

Lionel Hampton

A great vibraphonist,
bandleader, and
entertainer, Hamp is one
jazz and popular music's
never-ending source of tr...

Quincy Jones

Q's done it all: big band
jazz, funked up
soundtracks, sweet soul,
record label honcho and
muse to Austin Powers.

Red Norvo

A favorite of everyone from
Ellington to Sinatra, Norvo's
vibes took on swing, bop
and cool jazz with equal
aplomb.

Stan Kenton

Kenton's star has dimmed
since the 1940s and '50s, but
his grandious, challenging
Big Band jazz remains
exhilarating.

Thad Jones

Jones' trumpet sizzled but
he became famous for his
hard-hitting jazz charts and
he went on to Hard Bop big
band fame.

Woody Herman

The beloved Woody
Herman blew hot horns and
led a never ending series of
Thundering Herds. Stan
Getz became a star with H...

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