Big Band Standards
tagStarted 1928Peak 1935–1945Last big hit 1945
Located in 1 route
Big band standards are the signature instrumental or vocalized pieces of the swing-era orchestra tradition, usually built on sectional riffs, arranged ensemble contrast, and a sturdy four-beat feel. Brass and reeds trade figures over rhythm-section propulsion, and the melodies are durable enough to survive endless revival.
History
Codified by the leading dance-jazz orchestras of the 1930s and 1940s, these pieces became common musical currency through ballroom dancing, radio remotes, jukeboxes, and film appearances; they remain the repertoire backbone of repertory big bands because their arrangements define what later listeners hear as the sound of the swing era itself.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Swing" and "Big-band jazz"
- Carnegie Hall Timeline, "History of Swing Bands." citeturn5search1turn5search4turn5search0