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!
Playlist
| The appeal of large ensembles! Recommended masterpieces and popular songs of big bands | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1 | Take the A TrainDuke Ellington | play_arrow | In Japan, it’s known by the title “Take the A Train”… |
| 2 | Sing Sing SingBenny Goodman | play_arrow | A quintessential swing jazz classic that needs no introduction… |
| 3 | CaravanSWR Big Band | play_arrow | Notably used in the film “Whiplash,” the… |
| 4 | In The MoodGlenn Miller & His Orchestra | play_arrow | The opening melody appears in commercials, movies, TV shows… |
| 5 | Tea For TwoLeith Stevens and his Orchestra | play_arrow | Vincent Youmans and Irving ... |
| 6 | Love For SaleAnita O’Day | play_arrow | The composer who gained popularity with urban, sophisticated lyrics, Ko... |
| 7 | Pennsylvania Six-Five ThousandRay McKinley | play_arrow | The Ame… who gained popularity for their advanced arranging techniques |
| 8 | My Blue HeavenArtie Shaw | play_arrow | Walter Donaldson and George… |
| 9 | It Don’t Mean a ThingLjubljana Academy of Music Big Band | play_arrow | An American-born jazz composer and pianist... |
| 10 | A String Of PearlsBBC Big Band | play_arrow | Among the many pieces in the big band repertoire... |
| 11 | All the Cats Join InColeman Hawkins | play_arrow | Mr. Ray Gilbert, Mr. Eddie Sauter… |
| 12 | Some Skunk FunkThe Brecker Brothers | play_arrow | By the Brecker brothers, Randy and Michael... |
| 13 | I’m Getting Sentimental Over YouTommy Dorsey | play_arrow | Clarinetist Jimmy and the trombone playe... |
| 14 | Watch What HappensElla Fitzgerald | play_arrow | In 1960, Michel Legrand and Jacques… |
| 15 | Let’s DanceBobby Byrne | play_arrow | Mr. Benny Goodman, for over 50 years… |
| 16 | Ace HighTab Smith | play_arrow | The 'ji…', which is used by many media outlets in Japan as well… |
| 17 | Anitra’s BoogieCarmen Cavallaro | play_arrow | A great jazz pianist from New York… |
| 18 | Somebody Stole My GalBenny Goodman | play_arrow | For Japanese people—especially those from the Kansai region—it feels very familiar... |
| 19 | Don’t Be That WayPeanuts Hucko | play_arrow | In Japan, the title is “That Won’t Work”... |
| 20 | Give My Regards To BroadwayWerner Müller | play_arrow | The musical that became a hit in 1904, “Li…“ |
| 21 | Love for SaleBuddy Rich | play_arrow | The leader of a jazz big band often... |
| 22 | Salt PeanutsDizzy Gillespie | play_arrow | Along with Charlie Parker, the Big Bang… |
| 23 | Atomic B.Tobias Becker Bigband | play_arrow | Atomic B was founded in 2016 in Neuk… |
| 24 | Body And SoulBob Florence | play_arrow | The leader of the big band was a man named Bob… |
| 25 | Charles BridgeJazzrausch Bigband | play_arrow | Charles Bridge, in 2017… |
| 26 | Down By The RiversideOliver Nelson | play_arrow | Oliver Nelson, and Gil Evans as well... |
| 27 | Days Of Wine And RosesWoody Herman | play_arrow | Duke Ellington and Count Basie… |
| 28 | Nocturne in Eb major (Opus 9 #2)Peter Beets & Northern European Jazz Orchestra | play_arrow | Nocturne in Eb major… |
| 29 | Soul Bossa NovaQuincy Jones | play_arrow | Even if you don’t know the title, you’ve heard it somewhere… |
| 30 | Moonlight SerenadeGlenn Miller | play_arrow | In 1939, the trombonist Glenn Mi... |
| 31 | I Will Wait for YouMichel Legrand | play_arrow | A French composer who worked on numerous film scores… |
| 32 | Der verdammte BeatBigband Dachau | play_arrow | Der Verdammte Beat is ... |
| 33 | BirdlandMRT BIG BAND | play_arrow | Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter… |
| 34 | ALEXANDER’S RAGTIME BANDIRVING BERLIN | play_arrow | In 1911, to Irving Berlin... |
| 35 | One O’Clock JumpCount Basie | play_arrow | American jazz pianist and bandleader… |
| 36 | One Night StandHarry James | play_arrow | Before the arrival of the modern jazz era, big... |
| 37 | April in ParisCount Basie and his Orchestra | play_arrow | A Broadway musical released in 1932… |
| 38 | Opus OneSWR Big Band | play_arrow | Opus One was R in 2005 by CK... |
| 39 | Little Brown JugBBC Big Band Orchestra | play_arrow | Known in Japanese as “Cha-iro no Kobin” (Little Brown Jug), it was taught… |
| 40 | CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITEPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | With the light resonance of a trumpet and a passionate man... |
| 41 | BakeBeats & Pieces Big Band | play_arrow | Nocturne in Eb major… |
| 42 | Move To The BigbandBen Liebrand feat. Tony Scott | play_arrow | Move To The Bigband is... |
| 43 | Cafe De FloreThe Matthew Herbert Big Band | play_arrow | Cafe De Flore was, in 2003… |
| 44 | Cucurrucucú PalomaPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | Breathe a beautiful Mexican soul into the Cuban mambo… |
| 45 | Honeysuckle RoseFats Waller | play_arrow | Early jazz was featured in films and television shows, night… |
| 46 | Mambo de ParisPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | Dama..., who led the mambo boom of the 1950s... |
| 47 | Crazy About MamboPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | A powerful brass section and a dynamic rhythm... |
| 48 | Mambo NegroPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | A blend of traditional Cuban rhythms and American bi... |
| 49 | La PalomaPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | A Spanish habanera-style melody, brought out through Cuban… |
| 50 | Market MamboPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | Led by Pérez Prado from Cuba... |
| 51 | Black Horse MamboPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | A Cuban classic packed with the charm of mambo music… |
| 52 | Silbando MamboPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | A song that represents the golden age of mambo, with whistling... |
| 53 | The Groove MerchantThad Jones | play_arrow | The older brother is the pianist Hank Jones, and the younger brother is… |
| 54 | I Got It Bad And That Ain’t GoodDuke Ellington | play_arrow | Duke Ellington and Paul … |
| 55 | Hello DollyLouis Armstrong | play_arrow | The 1964 American musical “Hello…” |
| 56 | From This Moment OnBohuslän Big Band | play_arrow | From This Moment On is… |
| 57 | Bumblebee MamboPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | The classic piece of classical music, “Emperor Sultan”… |
| 58 | Mambo on SaxPeresu Puraado gakudan | play_arrow | A powerful brass section and lively percussion… |
| 59 | Begin the BeguineCole Porter | play_arrow | A jazz stan... composed by Cole Porter |
| 60 | BLUES ON PARADEHarunobu Hara to Shaapusu & Furattsu | play_arrow | As one of Japan’s leading big bands, Ja... |
| 61 | Open beautyDon Ellis | play_arrow | Distinguishing it from the big bands of the swing era, the mod... |
| 62 | La vie en roseLouis Armstrong | play_arrow | The trombonist from the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra… |
| 63 | Get UpBob Mintzer | play_arrow | Even as we entered the fusion era, the Big Bang… |
| 64 | Jump, Jive and WailLouis Prima | play_arrow | In the 1930s and 1940s, Nightk… |
| 65 | Scrapple From The ApplePeter Herboizheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass | play_arrow | Scrapple From The Ap… |
| 66 | Feeling Good (Joe Horrocks cover)Mighty Fraser Big Band | play_arrow | “Feeling Good” was in 1965… |
| 67 | Sugar BluesClyde McCoy | play_arrow | Originally, in 1920, Clarence Willia... |
| 68 | Cry Me A RiverGroover Big Band | play_arrow | The American composer Arthur Hamilto... |
| 69 | SpacetripJazz Bigband Graz | play_arrow | Space Trip was released by AC in 2012… |
| 70 | Chug de saudadeSap Big Band | play_arrow | Chega de saudade is a 20... |
| 71 | ManhattanGeorge Russell | play_arrow | Modern jazz began to attract attention in jazz when… |
| 72 | RangeGiorgio Gaslini Big Band | play_arrow | Rangte was released in 1971 and... |
| 73 | Gold In The CaneJoe Sample & NDR Bigband | play_arrow | Gold in the cane is 20… |
| 74 | Hello, HelloLutz Krajenski Big Band, Juliano Rossi | play_arrow | Hello, Hello was in 2011... |
| 75 | Love BeamsMark Taylor & The Bigband | play_arrow | Love Beams was rel… in 2015. |
| 76 | Wersi WalkORF Big Band & Karel Krautgartner | play_arrow | Wersi Walk was introduced by WM in 1973… |
| 77 | Georgia on My MindSANT ANDREU JAZZ BAND | play_arrow | It even became the state song of the U.S. state of Georgia... |
| 78 | YesterdaysVince Mendoza & WDR Big Band feat. Joshua Redman | play_arrow | Yesterdays was rel… in 1998 |
| 79 | Theme of Honda Construction CompanyShibusa Shirazu | play_arrow | It started with underground activities and then— |
| 80 | Midnight SunLionel Hampton | play_arrow | In jazz, an instrument called the vibraphone is played… |
| 81 | Martini TimeMarty Patch And His Orchestra | ![]() | Martini Time was, in 1958… |


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