Big band orchestras?

[Heather]

I'm a huge fan of Glenn miller and I was wondering if anyone could recommend other similar musicians. I know there are the Dorsey brothers & Harry James but I wouldn't know where to begin other than a greatest hits album. I would love to expand the horizon as this music, for whatever reason, make me feel so happy and content!

 

[Shangas]

The 30s and 40s was the big-band era. There are lots of famous names to choose from...

Ray Noble.
Jack Hylton.
The Savoy Orpheans.
Benny Goodman.
Duke Ellington.

The list is almost endless.

 

[Tomasso]

Start with Paul Whiteman.......

 

[skyvue]

I think it depends on whether Heather wants to go back to the early days of big bands right away, or if she wants to revel a bit in the musical era she's currently enjoying. The Glenn Miller Orchestra provided my introduction to the music of the 1930s and '40s, too, and I'm not sure that, right at the beginning, I'd have appreciated pre-swing outfits like Ray Noble and Paul Whiteman as much, though I love the music of that era now (as those who listen to Cladrite Radio might have guessed).

Heather, look for collections of songs from the Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Chick Webb orchestras, to name a few, that feature cuts from the late 1930s and early '40s, and you should be fine.

 

[Miss Moonlight]

I'll add Gene Krupa's Orchestra to that list if you want to stick to basically the same era for now. He was an amazing drummer but also had his own orchestra. Try Gene Krupa: Drum Boogie (Best Of The Big Bands).

If you've ever seen the Glenn Miller Story (1954), you've seen Gene drum.

 

[Chas]

There is a LONG list. My picks - (almost) in order of preference

Duke Ellington. Particularly the 1940's orchestra, the beginning of the Billy Strayhorn era. The finest Jazz big band ever. EVER.
[video=youtube;ut7fHzHc0QY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut7fHzHc0QY[/video]
Count Basie - 1938-1941, and the 1944 orchestra; and some of the early 50's stuff. The '38 band was the Greatest swing band ever.
Artie Shaw - 1938-1940: "the loudest god-damn band in the world" as Artie put it. His 1944 recordings with Roy Eldridge and Hot Lips Page are top-drawer as well.
Charlie Barnet 1938-1941
Erskine Hawkins.
Lucky Millinder
Buddy Johnson
Woody Herman's First Herd, and the Thundering Herd (45-47)
Jay McShann 1940's band.
Gene Krupa's 1941 band w/Anita O'Day & Roy Eldridge.
Fletcher Henderson. If you don't know Smack, you don't know big band.
Jimmie Lunceford. Any band from 1930 to it's demise, which was in '47.

For early and proto-swing- think 1932-'35:
The Chocolate Dandies. Killer lineup - Fats Waller, Don Redman, Rex Stewart, Coleman Hawkins...
McKinney's Cotton Pickers.
Benny Moten's Kansas City Orchestra.
Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra.
These are the Dorsey Brothers recordings you want. Jazz Oracle has some wonderful stuff - all expertly remastered as well. Can't go wrong there.
Willie Bryant. He only cut some 26 sides or so (that I know of) but he had a ripping good band.
[video=youtube;IqtMjVMmtQI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqtMjVMmtQI[/video]


And you want to listen to my radio show. Podcast in the signature.

 

[bunnyb.gal]

I'll have to add Bunny Berigan to that list, being a huge fan! Enjoy your journey, Heather!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Make your first stop the "What Are You Listening To?" thread. You'll find hundreds of good selections there.

 

[Heather]

Wow, thank you so much everyone! I can't wait to dive in! Definitely going to check out your podcast Chas and also head right on over to the "What are you Listening To?" thread.

 

[skyvue]

Heather, you might enjoy my online "station," Cladrite Radio, too. We play music of the 1920s, '30s, and '40s.

 

[Chas]

Wow, thank you so much everyone! I can't wait to dive in! Definitely going to check out your podcast Chas and also head right on over to the "What are you Listening To?" thread.

You are most welcome. Here are some CD recommendations for you. I tend to recommend box sets because I'm something of a completist. That, and you will save yourself time and ultimately money by "buying in bulk". I also tend to think that the compilers of "Greatest Hits" cd's will often miss recordings that you would probably like. A visit to your local library with my list will also help you build up your collection.

I would also encourage you to check out the small bands - they are really the examples of the best musicianship that typified the big band era. Big bands are good, but to hear the best musicians at their best, you will inevitably find it in the small group recordings.

Count Basie: Complete Decca Recordings
Artie Shaw - Begin The Beguine
Duke Ellington- the Blanton/Webster Band.
early Duke. Specifically, Cotton Club era.
Benny Goodman - Carnegie Hall.
save your pennies and splurge on this.It's the closest you will get to hearing the best musicians of the big band era playing free and loose.

Record Labels. Tough to recommend, because with some the remastering can be spotty and quality of old mono recordings can be an issue. There are several I can send you to with some confidence, however.

Jazz Oracle
Mosaic Records

They are increasingly hard to find, but, if perhaps you run into them on your search and you are interested in the artist, then will want to pick up anything on the Chronological Classics label. They are out of print, so expect to pay through the wazoobalong for them. Worth it, if you are a collector as I am. Just don't buy the one I want.

 

[John in Covina]

One place you can use to help find other bands its to go to Slacker Radio on line. There you can put in your favorite bands and their computer will come up with a list of bands it considers in the same genre. If you go to Live 365 and select the genre "Big Band" it will give you a list of stations that play big band. As you listen the station will list what they are playing and introduce you to some bands.

I can also say that it might be worth trying some CD's from Dean Mora.
http://www.morasmodern.com/music-usa.ASP

Don't forget that there is a good chance there is a video up on You-tube for many of the bands suggested. Seeing and hearing there will help you select what you like.

 

[Dapper Dave]

You like Glenn Miller Ray Eberly had his own band after he left Glenn's band. Also check out Ray Nobel's Orchestra. Sammy Kay also had a fine band as well. When I was a kid my father would listen to the bands and he would describe the personallitys of the band leaders especally Goodman, Shaw and Dorsey.

 

[davidraphael]

You are most welcome. Here are some CD recommendations for you. I tend to recommend box sets because I'm something of a completist. That, and you will save yourself time and ultimately money by "buying in bulk". I also tend to think that the compilers of "Greatest Hits" cd's will often miss recordings that you would probably like. A visit to your local library with my list will also help you build up your collection.

I would also encourage you to check out the small bands - they are really the examples of the best musicianship that typified the big band era. Big bands are good, but to hear the best musicians at their best, you will inevitably find it in the small group recordings.

Count Basie: Complete Decca Recordings
Artie Shaw - Begin The Beguine
Duke Ellington- the Blanton/Webster Band.
early Duke. Specifically, Cotton Club era.
Benny Goodman - Carnegie Hall.
save your pennies and splurge on this.It's the closest you will get to hearing the best musicians of the big band era playing free and loose.

Record Labels. Tough to recommend, because with some the remastering can be spotty and quality of old mono recordings can be an issue. There are several I can send you to with some confidence, however.

Jazz Oracle
Mosaic Records

They are increasingly hard to find, but, if perhaps you run into them on your search and you are interested in the artist, then will want to pick up anything on the Chronological Classics label. They are out of print, so expect to pay through the wazoobalong for them. Worth it, if you are a collector as I am. Just don't buy the one I want.

I want that Django disc! Number 1441?

I have a couple of hundred or so these Chronological discs

 

[davidg]

I would also recommend Max Raabe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPjN...ext=1&list=AVGxdCwVVULXfhC3VNNzSr3hDDqygkSvjb

Early Big Band era, specializing somewhat in music of the Weimar Republic but they do some Big band tunes of the 30's and 40's as well.

 

[davidraphael]

I would also recommend Max Raabe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPjN...ext=1&list=AVGxdCwVVULXfhC3VNNzSr3hDDqygkSvjb

Early Big Band era, specializing somewhat in music of the Weimar Republic but they do some Big band tunes of the 30's and 40's as well.

I saw Max Raabe near Munich for one of his new year's eve silvester concerts- he was really great.
But I still think that my favourite 1920's/30s re-creation band is The Beau Hunks who record with vintage techniques. I also saw them live back in the 90s in London.


[video=youtube;TdKvY9Pq46o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdKvY9Pq46o[/video]

 

[davidraphael]

In addition to Chas' list (Duke, Goodman et al), I'd also add Jimmie Lunceford, who I've been listening to a lot of in recent times.

But Duke really is the boss, whether it's 1920s Cotton Club stuff, the 1930s small groups, the classic 40s era, the sharper 1950s big band sound, when he was doing soundtracks like Anatomy of a Murder (a must-have) or Shakespeare adaptations, right up to his collaborations with guys like Coltrane in the 60s. There are also many late 60s/early 70s european broadcasts (that were never released) that are also very nice because the sound is so good.
He's kind of like Miles - he changed the face of jazz a few times.

My favourite Duke recordings are the 'small groups' recordings from the 1930s.
This is a good place to start: The Duke's Men - Small Groups Vol.1 & 2 (1934-1938)

There's also a rare-ish recording out there of the Ellington big band in the 1940s (November 10, 1946. Civic Opera House, Chicago to be specific) with Django Reinhardt. Very interesting to listen to indeed, as well as being the only recording of Django with the band!

 

[Chas]

I'm more than partial to the Blanton-Webster-Strayhorn era. Incredible stuff; without parallel in the big band era, methinks.

[video=youtube;3qEXUA7UY3Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qEXUA7UY3Q[/video]

 

[Shangas]

I would also recommend Max Raabe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPjN...ext=1&list=AVGxdCwVVULXfhC3VNNzSr3hDDqygkSvjb

Early Big Band era, specializing somewhat in music of the Weimar Republic but they do some Big band tunes of the 30's and 40's as well.

David, I'd just like to thank you for introducing us to Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester. I was vaguely aware of his music before, but I was compelled now, to take a closer look at it.

It really is a class-act! And he's a pretty damn good singer!