big band
Jazz orchestra style
A big band is a large jazz ensemble, typically featuring brass, woodwind, and rhythm sections—usually fifteen to twenty-five musicians.
The term evokes the swing era of the 1930s and 1940s, when bandleaders like Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman dominated popular music: My grandparents danced to the big bands.
Big band can also describe the style of music such groups play.
Large instrumental ensemble
- musiciansPeople who create music
- conductorOne who directs musicians
- bandleaderDirector of musical ensemble
- arrangerOne who orders elements
brass section · rhythm section · saxophones · trumpets · trombones · piano · drums · bass
Improvisational American music genre
- Lindy HopSwing dance from Harlem
- jitterbugEnergetic swing-era partner dance
- CharlestonSouthern Atlantic port city
- boogie-woogieDriving bass, freewheeling treble
bebop · syncopation · improvisation · scat · ballroom · speakeasy · Count Basie · Duke Ellington
Valved brass wind instrument
- tromboneSlide-operated brass instrument
- saxophoneReed instrument, brass body
- clarinetSingle-reed woodwind instrument
- alto saxE-flat woodwind instrument
tenor sax · baritone sax · horn section · soli · riff · fanfare · crescendo · blend
Prosperous 1920s period
- jazz age1920s American cultural era
- Harlem RenaissanceBlack arts explosion, 1920s
- prohibitionAuthoritative legal ban
- speakeasyIllicit liquor establishment
flapper · art deco · Gatsby · golden age · wartime · USO · radio broadcast · dance hall
Live musical performance
- gigShort-term paid work
- showMake something apparent
- stageRaised performance platform
- audienceGathered viewers collectively
dance floor · bandstand · live music · set list · repertoire · standard · arrangement · solo
orchestra
Large instrumental ensemble
- musiciansPeople who create music
- conductorOne who directs musicians
- bandleaderDirector of musical ensemble
arranger · brass section · rhythm section · saxophones · trumpets · trombones · piano · drums · bass · guitar
jazz
Improvisational American music genre
- Lindy HopSwing dance from Harlem
- jitterbugEnergetic swing-era partner dance
- CharlestonSouthern Atlantic port city
boogie-woogie · bebop · syncopation · improvisation · scat · ballroom · speakeasy · Count Basie · Duke Ellington · Benny Goodman
trumpet
Valved brass wind instrument
- tromboneSlide-operated brass instrument
- saxophoneReed instrument, brass body
- clarinetSingle-reed woodwind instrument
alto sax · tenor sax · baritone sax · horn section · soli · riff · fanfare · crescendo · blend · intonation
roaring twenties
Prosperous 1920s period
- jazz age1920s American cultural era
- Harlem RenaissanceBlack arts explosion, 1920s
- prohibitionAuthoritative legal ban
speakeasy · flapper · art deco · Gatsby · golden age · wartime · USO · radio broadcast · dance hall · ballroom
concert
Live musical performance
audience · dance floor · bandstand · live music · set list · repertoire · standard · arrangement · solo · improvisation
beat
Rhythmic pulse or strike
meter · downbeat · backbeat · four-four time · shuffle · drive · pocket · tight · syncopation · kick drum
- music groupschoir, orchestra, chorus, duo, trio
- musical ensemblesduet, orchestra, trio, quartet, quintet
- 1920s Musicjazz, ragtime, Charleston, Dixieland, blues
- jazz groupscombo, jazz orchestra, quartet, quintet, trio
- music genresblues, pop, jazz, rock, classical
- 1940sWWII, D-Day, Pearl Harbor, Normandy, VE Day
big bandlo-fi
Imperfect audio quality, informally
bebop · free jazz · punk rock · garage band · electronic music
big bandfree jazz
Formless avant-garde improvisation
jam session · stripped-down · minimalist · jam band · busking
big, band, bigger, disband, biggest, bigly, banded, bands, bigness