This week I had help from Jerry Leyendecker in putting this "Big Bands" Turntable together. Jerry has a much closer connection to this music than I. Here's a comment from Jerry . . . .
JL
"Harv . . . You've got a good representation of the "Big Bands" of the 1940s. Stuff we were all hearing before we actually started paying attention. Thanks to mom and dad we heard this stuff until the mid-1950s when things changed to smaller groups and rock & roll, and within the next decade, it all disappeared from popular view and by the time the "Beatles" invaded in '64, it was virtually all over, and it's been down hill ever since. High schools and colleges are keeping the "swing band" style alive, but it's like Bach and Beethoven... ancient but really good. Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in NYC are doing a very good job of trying to re-invigorate it, but it's an uphill battle against the commercial forces thundering onto the airwaves... sorta like you and your TT! It's "steak vs. wieners", as you so aptly put it once."
Professional Big Bands, popular in the 40's, are fading in the 2000's.
A standard 17-piece instrumentation evolved in the big bands. This instrumentation consists of five saxophones (most often two altos, two tenors, and one baritone), four trumpets, four trombones(often including one bass trombone) and a four-piece rhythm section (composed of drums, acoustic bass or electric bass, piano and guitar).However, variants to this instrumentation are common. Composers, arrangers, and bandleaders have used sections with more or fewer players, and additional instruments, such as valve trombone, baritone horn/euphonium (both of which are usually used in place of or with trombones), vibes, bass clarinet, French horn, tuba, banjo, accordion and strings (violin, viola, cello). Male and female vocalists have also joined big bands to perform particular arrangements. In recent years synthesizers and / or electronic keyboards have been added, often replacing the piano.
Some arrangements call for saxophone players to double on other woodwind instruments, such as flute, clarinet, soprano sax, or bass clarinet. Trumpet and trombone players are sometimes called upon to use various sound-changing mutes, and trumpet players sometimes need to play flugelhorn. In some rhythm sections, a Guitar player is omitted. Players in the rhythm section may be called upon to play acoustic or electric instruments. Latin or other auxiliary percussion instruments may be added, such as cowbells, congas, tambourines, or triangles. "Thanks WIKI"
The most popular "Big Bands" of the past are most certainly recognizable. Look at the list below. Is there whose name you don't know?
Thank you Jerry Leyendecker for suggesting the following selections!
JL
"Harv . . . You've got a good representation of the "Big Bands" of the 1940s. Stuff we were all hearing before we actually started paying attention. Thanks to mom and dad we heard this stuff until the mid-1950s when things changed to smaller groups and rock & roll, and within the next decade, it all disappeared from popular view and by the time the "Beatles" invaded in '64, it was virtually all over, and it's been down hill ever since. High schools and colleges are keeping the "swing band" style alive, but it's like Bach and Beethoven... ancient but really good. Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in NYC are doing a very good job of trying to re-invigorate it, but it's an uphill battle against the commercial forces thundering onto the airwaves... sorta like you and your TT! It's "steak vs. wieners", as you so aptly put it once."
Professional Big Bands, popular in the 40's, are fading in the 2000's.
A standard 17-piece instrumentation evolved in the big bands. This instrumentation consists of five saxophones (most often two altos, two tenors, and one baritone), four trumpets, four trombones(often including one bass trombone) and a four-piece rhythm section (composed of drums, acoustic bass or electric bass, piano and guitar).However, variants to this instrumentation are common. Composers, arrangers, and bandleaders have used sections with more or fewer players, and additional instruments, such as valve trombone, baritone horn/euphonium (both of which are usually used in place of or with trombones), vibes, bass clarinet, French horn, tuba, banjo, accordion and strings (violin, viola, cello). Male and female vocalists have also joined big bands to perform particular arrangements. In recent years synthesizers and / or electronic keyboards have been added, often replacing the piano.
Some arrangements call for saxophone players to double on other woodwind instruments, such as flute, clarinet, soprano sax, or bass clarinet. Trumpet and trombone players are sometimes called upon to use various sound-changing mutes, and trumpet players sometimes need to play flugelhorn. In some rhythm sections, a Guitar player is omitted. Players in the rhythm section may be called upon to play acoustic or electric instruments. Latin or other auxiliary percussion instruments may be added, such as cowbells, congas, tambourines, or triangles. "Thanks WIKI"
The most popular "Big Bands" of the past are most certainly recognizable. Look at the list below. Is there whose name you don't know?
Thank you Jerry Leyendecker for suggesting the following selections!
Big bands (17-18 piece ensembles) are here to stay, not so much in the professional ranks (very few professional big bands exist), but in America's schools.
Until Next Week
Harv
- There are thousands of middle school, high school, and college/university big bands.
- Repertoire consists of all styles of jazz from traditional big band swing to big band arrangements of bebop, cool, hard bop, and fusion; new arrangements are being written and performed all the time (as well as classics from the past). ref; "Jazz Today"
Until Next Week
Harv