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

One Night StandHarry James

Ultra – Harry James, 1952 (Live in Chicago)

Before the advent of the modern jazz era, big band swing was the mainstream of jazz.

One of the renowned orchestras was Harry James’s big band.

“One Night Stand” remains a classic big band piece that is still performed today.

April in ParisCount Basie and his Orchestra

April in Paris – Count Basie and his Orchestra (1965)

April in Paris, composed by Vernon Duke for the 1932 Broadway musical Walk a Little Faster.

The musical tells the story of a chorus girl who falls in love with a State Department official she meets aboard a ship bound for Paris.

This song brims with vitality, uniting two warm feelings: the thrill stirred by Paris’s gentle spring and the excitement of new love.

Please enjoy this elegant yet modern jazz classic!

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Opus OneSWR Big Band

SWR Big Band – Opus One – altes E Werk, Baden Baden 2013

Opus One is a Big Band/Swing-style track included on the jazz compilation “Let’s Swing Edition Archive der SWR Big Band,” released by CK Records in 2005.

The SWR Big Band is a German big band with over 60 years of history, affiliated with Südwestrundfunk (SWR) and known for releases in DigiPak format.

Little Brown JugBBC Big Band Orchestra

Little Brown Jug

Known in Japanese as “Chairo no Kobin” (Little Brown Jug) and even included in school textbooks, this American folk song became famous as a jazz standard through the performance of American trombonist Glenn Miller.

The “brown little jug” refers to a bottle of liquor, and the original lyrics depict a couple struggling with alcoholism; however, because the melody is bright and charming, child-friendly lyrics were later added.

It’s a piece with a simple, catchy tune and enjoyable solos for a variety of instruments!

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CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITEPeresu Puraado gakudan

PEREZ PRADO – CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE 1955

This celebrated piece, blending the light, ringing sound of the trumpet with the passionate rhythms of mambo, captivated audiences worldwide immediately upon its 1955 release, spending 10 consecutive weeks at No.

1 on the Billboard charts.

It was also featured in a scene from the 1955 film Underwater! where Jane Russell dances, bringing sudden attention to the Pérez Prado Orchestra.

Their sound is built on a powerful brass section and sophisticated arrangements.

This work is perfect for energizing glamorous parties and dance floors.

In addition, the beautiful melodies by trumpeter Billy Regis offer a soothing sense of comfort.

BakeBeats & Pieces Big Band

beats & pieces big band – bake (live in Burghausen, Germany)

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.

Move To The BigbandBen Liebrand feat. Tony Scott

Ben Liebrand Feat Tony Scott Move to the bigband

Move To The Bigband is a track by Ben Liebrand released in 1990, an Acid Jazz/Disco-style song featuring Tony Scott.

Ben Liebrand (born 1960) is a remixer, producer, and DJ from Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Tony Scott (born 1921) was a jazz clarinetist and baritone saxophone player from Morristown, New Jersey, USA.