List of big bands
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of big bands from all eras, not simply those of the past.
B
- BBC Big BandBBC Big BandThe BBC Big Band, originally known as the BBC Radio Big Band is a British big band run under the auspices of the BBC. Widely regarded as the UK’s leading and most versatile jazz orchestra, the band broadcasts exclusivley on BBC Radio, particularly on BBC Radio 2's long running series Big Band Special...
- BBC Northern Dance OrchestraBBC Northern Dance OrchestraThe BBC Northern Dance Orchestra was a big band run by the BBC and formed in 1951 as the successor to the BBC's Northern Variety Orchestra. Known to listeners as the NDO, it broadcast on the radio daily from the Playhouse Theatre in Hulme before moving to the BBC studios in Oxford Road...
- Beantown Swing OrchestraBeantown Swing OrchestraThe Beantown Swing Orchestra is a Boston-based 18-piece big band that was formed in 2006 by Frank Hsieh. Initially specializing in performing the classic dance music from the Swing Era, the band has since expanded its repertoire to include music from the 1950s and 1960s, particularly the...
- Ben Bernie and His OrchestraBen BernieBen Bernie , born Bernard Anzelevitz, was an American jazz violinist and radio personality, often introduced as The Old Maestro. He was noted for his showmanship and memorable bits of snappy dialogue....
- Benny Goodman and His OrchestraBenny Goodman and His OrchestraBenny Goodman And His Orchestra is a jazz album by Benny Goodman. It was released in 1977....
- Billy Eckstine Orchestra
- Big Bad Voodoo DaddyBig Bad Voodoo DaddyBig Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing revival band from southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O", "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight ", and "Mr. Pinstripe Suit". The band played the Super Bowl XXXIII half-time show in 1999.The band was originally formed in Ventura,...
- Big Phat Band
- Bob CrosbyBob CrosbyGeorge Robert "Bob" Crosby was an American dixieland bandleader and vocalist, best known for his group the Bob-Cats.-Family:...
and the Bob Cats - Bohuslän Big BandBohuslän Big BandThe Bohuslän Big Band is a modern jazz ensemble from Sweden which started as a military orchestra in the 19th century. They play original music as well as compositions by Lars Jansson, Maria Schneider, Frank Zappa and others....
- Bobby DarinBobby DarinBobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
- Boss Brass
- Brian Setzer Orchestra
- Brussels Jazz OrchestraBrussels Jazz OrchestraBrussels Jazz Orchestra is a Belgian jazz big band founded in 1993 by saxophonist and composer Frank Vaganée. They recorded their first CD in 1997...
- The Buddy Rich Big Band
C
- Cab Calloway and His Orchestra
- Casa Loma OrchestraCasa Loma OrchestraThe Casa Loma Orchestra was a popular American dance band active from 1927 to 1963. From 1929 until the rapid multiplication in the number of swing bands from 1935 on, the Casa Loma Orchestra was one of the top North American dance bands...
- Chick Webb and His Orchestra
- Claude Hopkins and His Orchestra
- Spade CooleySpade CooleyDonnell Clyde Cooley , better known as Spade Cooley, was an American Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality...
- Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk OrchestraCoon-Sanders Original Nighthawk OrchestraCoon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra was the first Kansas City jazz band to achieve national recognition, which it acquired through national radio broadcasts...
- Charlie SpivakCharlie SpivakCharlie Spivak was an American trumpeter and bandleader, best known for his big band in the 1940s.-Biography:...
and His Orchestra - Count Basie and His Orchestra
D
- Dallas Jazz OrchestraDallas Jazz OrchestraThe Dallas Jazz Orchestra is a jazz big band based in Dallas, Texas, founded by Thom Mason and Galen Jeter. Since its beginning in 1973, the DJO has produced numerous notable recordings, two of which were Grammy nominated, and has performed internationally in concerts and jazz festivals, such as...
(Later known as Dallas' Original Jazz OrchestraDallas Jazz OrchestraThe Dallas Jazz Orchestra is a jazz big band based in Dallas, Texas, founded by Thom Mason and Galen Jeter. Since its beginning in 1973, the DJO has produced numerous notable recordings, two of which were Grammy nominated, and has performed internationally in concerts and jazz festivals, such as...
) - Darcy James Argue's Secret Society
- Dave Holland Big Band
- Denver and the Mile High OrchestraDenver and the Mile High OrchestraDenver and the Mile High Orchestra is a horn-driven band based out of Nashville, Tennessee. DMHO was formed by a group of friends at Belmont University in 1999. They have traveled across the world, playing at churches, conferences, and festivals...
- Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra
- Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
- DR Big BandDR Big BandThe Danish Radio Big Band , often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a jazz big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964, when the Copenhagen jazz scene was particularly active, and the city was regularly visited by prominent jazz artists from the USA.- Band history :Originally called The New Radio...
- Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
- Duke Pearson Big Band
- Dutch Swing College BandDutch Swing College BandThe Dutch Swing College Band "DSCB" is a traditional dixieland band founded on May 5, 1945 by bandleader and clarinetist/saxophonist Peter Schilperoort....
G
- Galen Jeter OrchestraDallas Jazz OrchestraThe Dallas Jazz Orchestra is a jazz big band based in Dallas, Texas, founded by Thom Mason and Galen Jeter. Since its beginning in 1973, the DJO has produced numerous notable recordings, two of which were Grammy nominated, and has performed internationally in concerts and jazz festivals, such as...
- George Paxton and His OrchestraGeorge PaxtonGeorge Paxton was an American big band leader, saxophonist, composer, publisher, and arranger of swing jazz music from the 1930s to the late 1940s; as well as president and producer of Coed Records, primarily a doo-wop label, from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s.-Early career:He was born in...
- Gene KrupaGene KrupaGene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
- Gerald Wilson Big Band
- Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band
- Glenn Miller OrchestraGlenn Miller OrchestraThe Glenn Miller Orchestra was originally formed in 1938 by Glenn Miller. It was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony...
- Don Redman and His Orchestra
- Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat BandGordon Goodwin's Big Phat BandGordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, or simply The Big Phat Band, is an 18-piece jazz ensemble based in California and led by Gordon Goodwin. Goodwin composes most, and arranges all, of the group's performance pieces, as well as playing piano and occasionally tenor saxophone...
- Guy LombardoGuy LombardoGaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
- Imperial College Big BandImperial College Big Bandis an award-winning London-based big band which regularly performs in and around the capital. The band is made up of university students at Imperial College London, and has gained an excellent reputation over the last few years.The band is experienced in playing at a variety of events including...
- International Sweethearts of RhythmInternational Sweethearts of RhythmThe International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all women's band in the United States. During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the day...
J
- Jack Teagarden and His Orchestra
- James Last OrchestraJames Last OrchestraThe James Last Orchestra is a German big-band orchestra with strings. The orchestra was established in 1964 as a studio orchestra, led by jazz musician Hans Last...
- Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra
- Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
- Joe Loss and His OrchestraJoe LossJoshua Alexander "Joe" Loss LVO OBE was a British musician and founder of the Joe Loss Orchestra.-Life:Loss was born in Spitalfields, London, the youngest of four children. His parents, Israel and Ada Loss, were Russian Jews and first cousins. His father was a cabinet-maker who had an office...
- Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues OrchestraJools HollandJulian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
- Jazz Orchestra of the DeltaJazz Orchestra of the DeltaThe Jazz Orchestra of The Delta is a 17 piece concert jazz orchestra based primarily out of Memphis, Tennessee. The group was founded in 1998 and had their first CD release in 2003, "Big Band Reflections of Cole Porter" on Summit Records featuring vocalist and jazz trumpeter Marvin Stamm which ...
L
- Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra
- Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra
- Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
- Luis Russell and His Orchestra
- Les Brown and his Band of RenownLes Brown (bandleader)Les Brown, Sr. and the Band of Renown are a big band that began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils that Brown led while a student at Duke University. He was the first president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences...
- Luxembourg Military BandLuxembourg Military BandThe Luxembourg Military Band, known locally as the Musique militaire grand-ducale, was founded in 1842 and has been a major contributor to Luxembourg's musical heritage...
M
- Magic City Jazz OrchestraMagic City Jazz OrchestraThe Magic City Jazz Orchestra is an American jazz ensemble which was founded in 1999 as a spin-off of the SuperJazz Big Band by Birmingham, Alabama jazz pianist and vocalist Ray Reach...
- Maria Schneider Orchestra
- McKinney's Cotton PickersMcKinney's Cotton PickersMcKinney's Cotton Pickers were an African American jazz band founded in Detroit in 1926 by William McKinney, who expanded his Synco Septet to ten pieces. Cuba Austin took over for McKinney early on drums....
- Mills Blue Rhythm BandMills Blue Rhythm BandThe Mills Blue Rhythm Band was an American big band of the 1930s.The band was formed in Harlem in 1930, with reedman Bingie Madison the first of its many leaders. It started life as the Coconut Grove Orchestra, changing to Mills Blue Rhythm Band when Irving Mills became its manager in 1931...
- Mingus Big BandMingus Big BandThe Mingus Big Band is an ensemble, based in New York City, that specializes in the compositions of the late Charles Mingus. It is managed by his widow, Sue Mingus and represented by Tree Lawn Artists, Inc.. In addition to its weekly Monday night appearance at the Jazz Standard in New York City,...
- Matthew Herbert Big Band
S
- Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm
- The SquadronairesThe SquadronairesThe Squadronaires is a Royal Air Force band which began and performed in England during and after World War II. The official title of the band was 'The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra', but it was always known by the more popular title "The Squadronaires"....
- Swing UnlimitedSwing UnlimitedSwing Unlimited is a community based Big Band, and is unique in British Jazz in that it is totally self-funding, receiving no grant of any kind, making it a true community band that is being run by the community. The band is led very much in the style of Loose Tubes, rehearsing in the round where...
- Syd LawrenceSyd LawrenceSyd Lawrence , was a British bandleader from Chester, England, who became famous in the UK for his orchestra's Big Band sound, which drew on the 1940s style of music of Glenn Miller and Count Basie amongst others....
Orchestra
T
- The Tex Beneke Orchestra
- Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big BandThad Jones/Mel Lewis Big BandThe Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a jazz big band formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis around 1965. The band performed for twelve years in its original incarnation, and included a 1972 tour of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. The band won a 1978...
- Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra
- Tommy Tucker and His Orchestra
- The Tonight Show BandThe Tonight Show BandThe Tonight Show Band is the band which plays on the American television variety show, The Tonight Show. From 1962 to the 1990s, during the years the show was known as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, the band was a 17-piece Big Band, and was an important outlet for jazz on American...
- The Top Hatters
- Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big BandToshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big BandThe Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band was a 16 piece jazz big band created by pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi and tenor saxophone / flutist Lew Tabackin in Los Angeles in 1973. In 1982 the principals moved from Los Angeles to New York city and re-formed the group with new members under the name,...
- Matteson-Phillips Tubajazz ConsortMatteson-Phillips Tubajazz ConsortMatteson-Phillips Tubajazz Consort is a US big band scored for low brass instruments – trombones, euphoniums, and tubas – performed by artists who are renowned in jazz or classical or both.-History:...
W
- Washboard Rhythm Kings
- Tex WilliamsTex WilliamsSollie Paul Williams , known professionally as Tex Williams, was an American Western swing musician from Ramsey, Illinois....
- Bob WillsBob WillsJames Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
- Wingy Manone and His Orchestra
- Woody Herman And His Big Band
See also
- Big band remoteBig band remoteA big band remote was a remote broadcast, popular on radio during the 1930s and 1940s, involving a coast-to-coast live transmission of a big band.As early as 1923, listeners could tune in The Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra...
- List of American big band bandleaders
- List of British big band leaders
- List of experimental big bands
- Territory Bands