Music of a wonderful world

The appeal of large ensembles! Recommended masterpieces and popular songs of big bands

Former vocal coach specializing in Western musicRyo
With the motto “Learn the basics and enjoy putting them into practice,” I worked as a vocal coach specializing in Western music. As a teen, I questioned the idea that “Western music equals English,” and started listening to songs from around the world. Today, I devour music from over 80 countries and run a personal blog introducing tracks. I often listen to genres like nuevo flamenco, bolero, canzone, and R&B. I’ll keep updating articles daily to find the one perfect song you’re looking for!
music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

As the name suggests, a big band is a band made up of a large ensemble.

While swing jazz from before the modern jazz era is especially well-known, big bands are also a popular format in pop music.

Many will remember that in Showa-era music programs, dedicated big bands performed as backing ensembles for singers.

This time, we’ve gathered a selection of masterpieces born from big band performances.

Many of these pieces are used in commercials and film scores, making this a collection that even beginners can enjoy!

The Appeal of Large Ensembles! Recommended and Popular Big Band Masterpieces (61–70)

Feeling Good (Joe Horrocks cover)Mighty Fraser Big Band

Mighty Fraser Big Band , Joe Horrocks vocal, Feeling Good

Feeling Good (Joe Horrocks cover)Mighty Fraser Big Band

Feeling Good is a classic song by Nina Simone released in 1965, and it was also sung by Michael Bublé in 2005.

It is covered in a big band arrangement by Mighty Fraser, featuring Joe Horrocks as the jazz vocalist.

The Mighty Fraser Big Band is a big band based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

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Wersi WalkORF Big Band & Karel Krautgartner

ORF Big Band & Karel Krautgartner – Wersi Walk (1973)

Wersi WalkORF Big Band & Karel Krautgartner

Wersi Walk is a track from the LP “Wersi Walk — Big Band Sound in Wersi Organ,” released by WM Produktion in 1973.

The ORF Big Band emerged around 1970, when Austria’s broadcasting company was restructured and new modern pop and jazz stations were established, becoming an orchestra that met all the needs of a modern broadcaster and remaining active from 1971 to 1982.

Karel Krautgartner, born in 1922, was a clarinetist from Mikulov in the Czech Republic.

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Georgia on My MindSANT ANDREU JAZZ BAND

2011 georgia on my mind EVA FERNANDEZ SANT ANDREU JAZZ BAND direccion JOAN CHAMORRO

Georgia on My MindSANT ANDREU JAZZ BAND

One of the jazz standard numbers that also serves as the state song of Georgia, USA.

It has even been used in commercials for the canned coffee brand “Georgia.” Some say the song was written on commission as a piece evoking the American South, titled “Georgia,” while others say it was dedicated to the composer Hoagy Carmichael’s sister, also named Georgia.

The lyrics weave together both a longing for one’s hometown and feelings for a loved one.

Set to a comfortable jazz rhythm, it’s a song that voices emotions both wistful and passionate.

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YesterdaysVince Mendoza & WDR Big Band feat. Joshua Redman

Joshua Redman feat. by WDR BIG BAND – Yesterdays

YesterdaysVince Mendoza & WDR Big Band feat. Joshua Redman

“Yesterdays” is a track from the 1998 album “Timeless Tales,” performed with the WDR Big Band.

The WDR Big Band is the big band of Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), the public broadcaster based in Cologne (Köln), Germany.

Joshua Redman, born in 1969, is a saxophonist and composer from Berkeley, California, USA.

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BLUES ON PARADEHarunobu Hara to Shaapusu & Furattsu

Blues on Parade: Nobuo Hara and The Sharps & Flats

BLUES ON PARADEHarunobu Hara to Shaapusu & Furattsu

One of Japan’s premier big bands—and a group important not only in jazz but in the broader history of popular music—is Nobuo Hara and His Sharps & Flats.

With a glittering career that includes being the first Japanese band to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival in the United States, they stand as a truly great big band.

The central figure, Nobuo Hara, was not only a tenor saxophonist but also a gifted composer—he even wrote Misora Hibari’s famous hit “Makkana Taiyō” (Crimson Sun).

This time, let’s feature their performance of the standard number “ ”.

The original was by Woody Herman, a clarinetist who also made his mark as a big band leader, and it seems a 7-inch record was released in Japan at the time.

The sparkling, quintessentially big-band melody, the surging four-beat walking bass, and the shuffling drum groove make it sheer joy to listen to.

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