Big Band Jazz Styles

Big Band Jazz Styles

Big Band

Genre characterized by an instrumentation consisting of three sections of horns (trumpet, trombones, and saxes) and a rhythm section consisting of piano, bass, drums, with optional guitar and vibes. Most big bands play swing and jazz but many play virtually any musical style. Many are named for their leaders. Careful arranging is needed to avoid anarchy, but jazz big band arrangements allow plenty of room for improvisation. Characteristic writing utilizes call-and-response phrasing by the horn sections as well as harmonized tutti ensembles. The style is an oddity, then, attracting hobby performers like a folk art but requiring carefully prepared arrangements like a fine art. University music departments are an important center of training for big band performers, not only as a source of arrangements but also as a place to learn how to phrase correctly so as to blend with a section.

Top: Arts: Music: Styles: Jazz: Big Band

Bands and Artists

Editor's Picks:

- Worldwide directory of working and historic big bands maintained by Murray Pfeffer. Includes swing, jazz, territory and society bands, with links to singers, Dixieland jazz, Western swing, wartime songs, sales of arrangements, and songwriter lookup.

- A Canadian entertainment magazine for people who treasure the classic hits and happenings from the 40s, 50s to the 90s.
- Fan site offering articles on Don Ellis, Rob McConnell, Tom Kubis, and Bill Holman. CD reviews, CD sales, biographies, and links.
- Personal observations on the music of the big bands by webhost Bill Seefeldt, with MP3 recordings of the classic big bands.
- [Denton, TX, US] Significant center for big band jazz offering bachelor's and master's degrees, awarded first college degree in jazz in 1949. Recordings available from One O'Clock Lab Band, alumni news, calendar of events, audition procedures.
- Music and personalities of the big band era, including Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Benny Goodman. Nightclub reviews from the New York World-Telegram dating from the 1940s and 50s, with photos, audio and links to online shopping.
- For current big bands worldwide and related matters of interest.

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