jazz ensembles
Improvising musical collectives
A jazz ensemble is a group of musicians performing jazz together.
The term covers everything from small combos—trio, quartet, quintet—to big bands with brass, woodwind, and rhythm sections.
She plays saxophone in a jazz ensemble at the university.
The size and instrumentation shape the sound: smaller groups allow more improvisation, while larger ensembles feature arranged charts and coordinated horn lines.
- big bandLarge jazz ensemble
- swing era1930s-40s jazz dominance
- quartetEnsemble of four
- quintetGroup of five
- small groupLimited gathering of people
nonet · rhythm section · trio · jam session · sextet · octet · duo · improvisation · swing band · combo · brass section · walking bass · Duke Ellington · nightclub act · sidemen · syncopation · blue note · horn section
jazz ensemblessymphony orchestras
Large classical music ensembles
soloists · philharmonic orchestras · concert bands · marching bands · military bands