Big band

A big band is a large musical ensemble that plays jazz music, especially swing.

The band is divided up into a number of sections, by instrument; each section usually has four or more members. All bands usually have a rhythm section[?], made up of drum set[?], bass, piano, and possibly guitar. There are also sections for trumpets, trombones, and saxophones (who sometimes double on flute or clarinet).

Sometimes there will also be a percussion section, especially if the band plays latin jazz[?] or salsa music.

Big band music peaked in popularity during the 1940s, and much of the best-known popular music of the era was recorded by them. The bands of Cab Calloway, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Woody Herman[?], Glenn Miller, Boyd Raeburn[?], Paul Whiteman, Artie Shaw, Les Brown, and (who else)? are amongst the best known.

This is a list of band leaders taken from Julien Vedey's book Band Leaders (London, 1950):

• Jack Hylton[?]
• Debroy Somers[?]
• Carroll Gibbons[?]
• Harry Roy[?]
• Jack Payne[?]
• Ambrose (Bert Ambrose)
• Henry Hall[?] (BBC Dance Orchestra)
• Jay Whidden[?]
• Billy Cotton
• Lew Stone[?]
• Stanley Black[?]
• Joe Loss[?]
• Major Glenn Miller
• Ted Heath[?]
• Geraldo[?]
• Eric Winstone[?]
• Cyril Stapleton[?]
• Edmundo Ros[?]
• Oscar Rabin[?] and Harry Davis[?]
• Victor Silvester[?]
• Billy Ternent[?]
• Ivy Benson[?]
• Tito Burns[?]
• Harry Parry[?]
• Ray Ellington[?]
• Harry Davidson[?]
• Harry Leader[?]
• Jack Jackson[?]