Your Favorite Big Band

[Mountain Man]

Of the "Big Bands" my favorites are Jan Garber, Hal Kemp and Guy Lombardo -I know those particular ones are probably all too "sweet" for most people's taste but they were my grandparent's favorites and I have fond memories of listening to them as a kid.

PS - voted for Armstrong in the poll although I never considered him a big band leader or performer - in fact, Satch almost constituted his own genre!

 

[Mountain Man]

For swing, Ellington and Goodman

For sweet, Hal Kemp.

For pure *entertainment* value, Kay Kyser.

I had forgotten about "The Old Perfesser"! Kay was from my home state of NC, and began entertaining while he was a student at Chapel Hill - I heard that he couldn't read a note of music but was a great front man and entertainer - remember "That's right, you're wrong!" and "Come on chillun, le's dance!"?.

 

[Chas]

Another excellent band going without mention is Woody Herman's "Band That Swung The Blues" , the First Herd and the "Thundering Herds". Flip Phillips, Dave Tough et. al.

 

[Shangas]

Of the "Big Bands" my favorites are Jan Garber, Hal Kemp and Guy Lombardo -I know those particular ones are probably all too "sweet" for most people's taste but they were my grandparent's favorites and I have fond memories of listening to them as a kid.

PS - voted for Armstrong in the poll although I never considered him a big band leader or performer - in fact, Satch almost constituted his own genre!

Never listened to Jan Garber. Have listened to Guy Lombardo and have only had limited exposure to Hal Kemp.

What's Kemp's music like?

 

[dhermann1]

Kemp was very sweet, a lot of trilly rump to rump. But he, like Chick Webb, died earl (Kemp in a tragic car crash, and Chick Webb from TB) so who knows where his music might have gone?
Buy, this question sure stirred a hornets' nest! Nice to see so many diverse and passionate Big Band lovers out there!
BTW, re: Armstrong, a few months ago I heard a long program by Phil Schaap on WKCR, where he explained how Armstrong recorded predominantly with small groups, but his daily bread and butter gigs were with larger, usually ten piece or more, groups on the week days in the clubs and hotels where he worked. He played most of the few large group cuts Pops recorded during that period. Verrry interesting.

 

[JennyLou]

Oh, so hard to pick and then there are many more not included in the quiz. I think my current favorite is Jack Chick Webb

 

[vitanola]

The Casa Loma Orchestra is a minor band?

and then there is always Guy Lombardo. The Lombardo organisation gets little respect or acclaim these days, but they were fantastically popular in their time, and produced supremely well crafted, danceable music, although they seldom would swing.

 

[Chas]

The Casa Loma Orchestra is a minor band?

Not at all. The Casa Loma Orch. was the most popular band in N. America before the swing era "broke". I have a signed 78 from Glen Gray - a surprise find in a box of discarded 78s.

Speaking of untimely passings - Carleton Coon and Bennie Moten - both, I have little doubt, would have gone on to do great things had they not died in botched Tonsillectomies. Likewise Eddie Lang, who died in an appendix operation. Having an operation "back in the day" was risky.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"I Chose Benny Goodman from the list, but I actually prefer the British Dance bands of the 30's particularly the likes of Lew Stone, Ambrose & his orchestra, Jack Hylton, Billy Cotton, and all the Rest"

 

[JennyLou]

"I Chose Benny Goodman from the list, but I actually prefer the British Dance bands of the 30's particularly the likes of Lew Stone, Ambrose & his orchestra, Jack Hylton, Billy Cotton, and all the Rest"

I love Nat Gonella. I believe he was from Britain. Other than him I have not knowingly listened to much British dance bands. I'll have to start listening to some.

 

[dhermann1]

Was it the Casa Loma, or was it Adrian Rollini that Woody Herman took over and renamed the Thundering Herd? I think Adrian Rollini.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I might have voted for Goodman or Armstrong, but I had to go with Ellington purely on the basis of how many records I have. (Five or six by Benny, eight or ten by Louis, but well up into twenty-something by Duke!)

 

[Mountain Man]

Was it the Casa Loma, or was it Adrian Rollini that Woody Herman took over and renamed the Thundering Herd? I think Adrian Rollini.

Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra was pretty much the same until up in the 50's - I believe they kept on recording even after they quit touring - up into the 60's. I always thought the Casa Loma's theme "Smoke Rings" was one of the nicest slow tunes ever written.

One neat thing about the Casa Loma Orchestra - they were regular performers up here in the Asheville area - used to regularly play the "Sky Club" on Beaucatcher Mountain!

 

[vitanola]

Was it the Casa Loma, or was it Adrian Rollini that Woody Herman took over and renamed the Thundering Herd? I think Adrian Rollini.

Herman took over the old Isham Jones organization, a band dating back to the earliest days of the Jazz Era, one that had some of the earliest big hit recordings (on those purple-label Brunswick discs), including the incredibly popular (and good!) 1921 waxing of the "Wabash Blues", one of the first really big dance music hits, along with Selvin's "Dardanella" and Whiteman's "Whispering".

 

[Fletch]

...and then pretty much dropped out of the history books, despite making their best music after 1930, along with prolific recording and continued popularity. Why do you suppose?

Jones' is my all-around favorite band of all time.
Hear him here

 

[JimWagner]

I like all of the bands listed in the poll. I voted for Tommy Dorsey only because as a trombone player myself he was always an inspiration to me.

I also enjoy most of the bands others have listed that didn't make the poll.

My real favorite is whatever I'm listening to at the time. lol

 

[Forgotten Man]

I totally forgot about Artie Shaw and only threw the Dorsey Brothers in there to fill up the ten spots. As explained in my first post I didn't post the lesser known bands.

A mistake was made, however I would say Artie Shaw isn't one of the lesser known bands... he was right up there with the best of them from 1938-40 or so. He disbanded and came back with another band. His recording of "Begin the Beguine" is one of the standards of the era that many remember today like "In the Mood" or "Sing, Sing, Sing".

FYI, I hope my girlfriend doesn't see this poll, she'd be pretty upset that her favorite isn't up there.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Kemp was very sweet, a lot of trilly rump to rump.

Kemp was the ever so popular sweet sound of the 30s like Guy and others. The thing that Kemp was known for was his extremely tight and precise trumpet section. You could set your watch to his trumpets. lol

Now, something that most don't know about Kemp, in the 20s his band was HOT! He was quite a unique and special band in the age of Jazz. When the 30s came, and the sweet sound started to gain speed, he changed his style and became a sweet band.

Some prefer looser sounds but, I am one who is amazed by the skill and hard work that goes into forming a trumpet section sound so tight. Some may associate a very rehearsed and tight band with being "commercial" I however do not, it takes much discipline to play that style. Not easy, not by a long shot!

 

[Mountain Man]

...and then pretty much dropped out of the history books, despite making their best music after 1930, along with prolific recording and continued popularity. Why do you suppose?

Jones' is my all-around favorite band of all time.
Hear him here

Jones was very good - I remember one of his contemporaries paying a complement to his musical abilities, but also describing his appearance as "...having the face of a man who would sell cat meat to an orphanage."

 

[Fletch]

The Casa Loma Orchestra is a minor band?

Now.