The appeal of large ensembles! Recommended masterpieces and popular songs of big bands
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!
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The appeal of large ensembles! Recommended and popular big band masterpieces (21–30)
Body And SoulBob Florence
There are many big band leaders named Bob, and Bob Florence is one of the famous Bobs.
He was a highly experimental person who tried various things, such as arranging the big band in a symmetrical layout.
“Body and Soul” is a classic standard in jazz, not just for big bands.
Salt PeanutsDizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie, who, together with Charlie Parker, created the music known as bebop that brought the swing era—the heyday of big bands—to a close, also led a big band himself.
“Salt Peanuts” is also famous for performances from an anonymous session featuring him and Charlie Parker.
Nocturne in Eb major (Opus 9 #2)Peter Beets & Northern European Jazz Orchestra
Nocturne in E-flat major (Opus 9 No.
2) is a track included on the jazz album “Chopin Meets The Blues,” released by Criss Cross Jazz in 2010.
Peter Beets is a jazz pianist from The Hague, Netherlands.
The Northern European Jazz Orchestra is a Netherlands-based big band founded in 2011.
The conductor, Kurt Weiss, is an American trumpeter who has lived in the Netherlands since 2001; while touring throughout Europe, he also serves as the conductor of the West Coast Big Band.
Moonlight SerenadeGlenn Miller
Composed in 1939 by trombonist Glenn Miller, this piece is one of the signature works of swing jazz and served as the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s band theme.
It has been featured in many commercials as well as in performance scenes in the film Swing Girls.
The original arrangement is a slow big band number that features the clarinet, and its rich emotional quality even led Mitchell Parish to later add lyrics, allowing it to be performed as a vocal song.
Soul Bossa NovaQuincy Jones
Even if you don’t know the title, many of you have probably heard it somewhere.
It’s a piece that has been quoted countless times in TV shows, films, and video games.
Composed by American music producer and composer Quincy Jones, it became a major hit thanks to its familiar opening melody and lively rhythm.
In the 1997 comedy film Austin Powers, it was used almost like the main theme song.