Big Band & Swing
Big band jazz dates back to as early as the 1910s, but was hugely popular throughout the first half of twentieth century. Duke Ellington was its most important creative force in the 1930s and 1940s. The term itself refers to large-ensemble jazz bands consisting of ten or more musicians, primarily brass players. Due to the number of players involved, big band music places less emphasis on improvisation and more on written compositions. Swing was essentially another name for big band music, but with more of a rhythm and blues drive, often with less reliance on "charts", as epitomised by the Count Basie Band's swaggering Kansas City sound.
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Further Reading: Big Band & Swing
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Callum Au on Sing Seven Seas
25th May 2026
The internationally renowned arranger celebrates his upcoming release prior to the launch at Kings Place, and shares all the details behind the project that involves over eighty musicians.
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Duke Ellington - The Nutcracker Suite
24th Dec 2025
Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite turns Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday classic into a swinging jazz celebration. Lush orchestration meets the playfulness of a big band, resulting in a festive classic.
Popular Artists & Groups: Big Band & Swing
- Anderson, Cat
- Basie, Count
- Brown, Lawrence
- Carney, Harry
- Carter, Benny
- Clayton, Buck
- Edison, Harry 'Sweets'
- Ellington, Duke
- Elman, Ziggy
- Gonsalves, Paul
- Goodman, Benny
- Green, Freddie
- Greer, Sonny
- Hamilton, Jimmy
- Hampton, Lionel
- Hawkins, Coleman
- Henderson, Fletcher
- Hodges, Johnny
- James, Harry
- Jones, Jo
- Krupa, Gene
- Miller, Glenn
- Nance, Ray
- Page, Walter
- Procope, Russell
- Rushing, Jimmy
- Tate, Buddy
- Terry, Clark
- Washington, Jack
- Webster, Ben
- Williams, Cootie
- Young, Lester
Recent Best Sellers: Big Band & Swing
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For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver
Christian McBride (double bass), Christian McBride Big Band (group)
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Jazzwise, Editor's Choice, October 2020
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AllMusic, Editor's Choice, September 2020
CD: $18.50 -
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Night Blooms
Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
CD: $16.00Download from $8.25 -
Far East Suite
Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra, Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet), Jimmy Hamilton (tenor saxophone), Chuck Conners (trombone), Buster Cooper (trombone), Lawrence Brown (trombone), Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone), Russell Procope (alto saxophone), John Lamb (bass), Rufus Jones (drums), Harry Carney (baritone saxophone), Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone), Russell Procope (clarinet), Herbie Jones (trumpet), Mercer Ellington (trumpet), Duke Ellington (piano), William "Cat" Anderson (trumpet), Mercer Ellington (fluegelhorn), Cootie Williams (trumpet), Herbie Jones (fluegelhorn), Chuck Connors (trombone), William Anderson (trumpet)
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Grammy Awards, 11th Awards (1968), Best Instrumental Jazz Performance – Large Group or Soloist with Large Group
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Penguin Guide to Jazz, 4 Star
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Jazz 100, Top 100 Jazz Albums, Top 100 (Pre-1980)
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1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, Jazz Recommendation
CD: $9.00 -
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Special offer. The Mess Is Here „Revisited“
Lionel Hampton Orchestra
CD: Original price $19.50 Reduced $11.70
