Big Band Jazz
tagStarted late 1920sPeak 1935–1946Last big hit late 1990s
Big band jazz emphasizes full brass and reed sections, written arrangements, shout choruses, and a broad dynamic range from velvety ballads to full-room brass detonations.
History
The style grew out of Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, and other arrangers who transformed early jazz into large-ensemble architecture. It later split into dance bands, hot swing, concert jazz orchestras, and modern repertory bands, but the “big band” identity always implies the sound of sections thinking together.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Carnegie Hall Timeline
- band-history references
- classic big-band discographies.