Part 3, the big bands
Jazz big bands had their heyday in the 1930s. At that time, jazz music was also consumer music, which could be heard on the radio where the big bands performed live, or in the big dance halls, some of which were so large that they housed two orchestras, one on each side, which competed in front of thousands of dancers.
A jazz orchestra usually consists of a rhythm section (piano, guitar, double bass and drums), a five-saxophone section and a brass section consisting of four trumpets and four trombones. Here is a selection of the most important big bands in jazz history. Click on the links for more information on the artist or the song. At the end of the article you will find the spotify playlist to listen to all the songs.
- Fletcher Henderson – Hot and Anxious (1931)
- Duke Ellington – It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) (1932)
- Chick Webb – Stompin’ at the Savoy (1934)
- Tommy Dorsey – I’m Getting Sentimental Over You (1935)
- Count Basie – One O’Clock Jump (1937)
- Woody Herman – Woodchopper’s Ball (1939)
- Claude Thornhill – Snowfall (1941)
- Glenn Miller – In the Mood
- Artie Shaw – Begin the Beguine
- Stan Kenton – 23 North 82 West (1952)