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Big band
Music ensemble associated with jazz music / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the albums, see Big Band (Joe Henderson album) and Big Band (Charlie Parker album).
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and dominated jazz in the early 1940s when swing was most popular. The term "big band" is also used to describe a genre of music, although this was not the only style of music played by big bands.
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Quick Facts Stylistic origins, Cultural origins ...
Big band | |
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![]() Paul Whiteman and his orchestra in 1921 | |
Stylistic origins |
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Cultural origins | 1910s |
Derivative forms |
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Big bands started as accompaniment for dancing the Lindy Hop. In contrast to the typical jazz emphasis on improvisation, big bands relied on written compositions and arrangements. They gave a greater role to bandleaders, arrangers, and sections of instruments rather than soloists.