Big band

A “big band” is an orchestral formation , of Professionnel S or Amateur S, which interprets works of the repertory Jazz, particularly in the style swing until in the years 1960; as from these years, the avant-garde and the Free jazz start to be interested in this type of formation. Its name comes from English and means “great group literally”. It is sometimes called “training course band”.

Manpower

Most traditional employs four instrumental sections, also called desks:
  • the Saxophone S: two alto saxophones, two saxophones tenor and a Saxophone baritone. Often multi instrumentalists, the saxophonists can hold of others instruments with sheer, like the Clarinette and the Soprano saxophone, or sometimes the flute.
  • the Trombone S, four, the fourth being often a Bass trombone;
  • the trumpet S, also four, use also sometimes Cornet S or Bugle S;
  • the rhythm section: Piano (or organ), Double bass (or low) and battery, sometimes supplemented by the Guitar and various percussion S;
  • the director, who is often also Compositeur and Arrangeur, is in charge of the cohesion of the orchestra and gives sometimes its name to the “big band”;
  • one finds there often also one or more Chanteur S which interprets the Chanson S or the melodies (what gives sometimes “scat”) in solo, accompanied by the remainder of the orchestra;
  • sometimes, other instruments come to supplement the unit: tuba, French horn, etc

Some “big bands”

  • Count Basie Big Band
  • Woody Hermann Big Band
  • Duke Ellington Big Band
  • Tommy Dorsey Big Band
  • Benny Goodman Big Band
  • Glenn Miller Big Band
  • Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet
  • London Jazz Composers' Orchestra
  • Creative Music Company
  • Globe Unity Orchestra
  • Sun Ra Arkestra
  • Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestrated
  • ICP Orchestra
  • Mingus Big Band
  • Italian Instabile Orchestra
  • Liberation Music Orchestra
  • Vienna Art Orchestrated
  • Dave Holland Big Band
  • Willem Breuker Kollektief
  • Noukash Orchestra

And in France

External bonds

  • The Original Big Bands Database Plus counts the big band and of information with regard to them.

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