Big Band
A Big Band or Jazz Ensemble (formerly often called Jazz Orchestra ) is a large jazz band with multiply occupied instruments. Big bands came to the U.S. in the 1920s and have been relevant for the swing era. The term is also commonly used for large dance orchestra, regardless of their style.
Occupations
Swing ( jazz) Big Band
In the big band the parts of the various individual instruments of early jazz were originally (New Orleans Jazz ) major sections, that is allocated to groups of similar instruments. The standard sections of a modern Big Band are:
- Rhythm Section: Piano, drums, electric bass or double bass ( tuba infrequently ), often guitar and various percussion instruments ( rhythm section )
- Woodwinds: saxophones, sometimes supplemented by clarinets or flutes (Reed Section)
- Brass: trumpets and trombones ( brass section )
Each fan section is usually made of four to five instruments of the individual group that are graduated according to a maximum playable (or arrangement moderately set ) pitch:
- Saxophones: 1st, 2nd alto saxophone; 1st, 2nd tenor saxophone; Baritone Saxophone
- Trumpets 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, ( 5 ) trumpet; often is also switched to flugelhorn
- Trumpets: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th trombone or bass trombone
The first votes in each case the guide or lead voice their section assume. At Tutti or shout- phrases usually the first trumpet as the highest and most pervasive instrument is the lead vocal.
The sound of the ensemble depends not only on the accuracy and the sensitivity of the individual musicians materially from the arranger from that needs to know the possible tuning guide and the technical possibilities of big band instruments and instrumentalists very precisely in order to make the desired overall tone as effectively as possible.
Mambo Big Band
One particular form of the Big Band is the Mambo Big Band, a large ensemble of musicians, which has music dedicated to the Mambo.
A typical Mambo Big Band consists instrument technically made up of:
- Rhythm section: Percussion: congas, bongos, timbales
- Piano, drums and bass (and possibly guitar) in a simple occupation
- Trumpet: Trumpet
- Trombone: trombone, bass trombone
- Saxophones: Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone
- ( Flutes)
All instruments - with the exception of bass, piano, drums and guitar - are always occupied several times. Instruments in brackets are not part of the standard repertoire, may be occupied singly or multiply in the presence but. Almost always another couple of singers, often consisting of a soloist and an accompanying group. Occasionally, other instruments such as the vibraphone used.
In contrast to classical jazz big band is clearly the focus here is on the rhythm section, while woodwinds are almost completely neglected in return. When the brass trumpets play a subordinate role and are often not represented.
Known representatives
A well-known representative of this mambo big band genre is the Palladium Night Orchestra, the Mambo made famous in the 1950s at the Palladium on Broadway in New York City with his star Tito Puente. This includes Perez Prado ( known as Mambo No.. 5).
In Europe, the presence of the Pasadena Roof Orchestra is widely regarded as an authentic representative of the genre "white Ballroom music." Already first big band swing arrangements in occupation can be heard in the recordings of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra from before 1935. Fletcher Henderson has perfected this arranging style for the Benny Goodman big band in the sequence of time. Sonically, in particular, the musicians of the Duke Ellington Orchestra (from 1940), to name whose compositions and arrangements as authentic for sound and jazz in the big band. Standards of modern big band music started the big band of Count Basie, mentioning in particular is for this band the groove from the rhythm section. Symphonic Tones led for the first time a Stan Kenton.
With their Free and Easy Tour the short-lived Quincy Jones Big Band in Europe attracted 1959/60 stir. What was unusual in the sixties, based in Europe, but for the most part of African- Americans existing Kenny Clarke / Francy Boland Big Band, both two Bandleader ( Clarke was the drummer and Boland pianist and arranger ) and also had two drummers ( the African American Kenny Clarke and Kenny Clare white British ). In the area of free jazz since the mid -1960s acted Sun Ra and his Arkestra and the Globe Unity Orchestra; Jef Gilson and also Chris McGregor and his Brotherhood of Breath moved into a free play in the big-band work.
In the 1970s there were big-band projects of Charles Mingus (Let My Children Hear Music ) and Charles Tolliver or The George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band with countless U.S. and European guest soloists. Gil Evans was its unusually busy production The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix follow in the 1980s, The Monday Night Orchestra.
Besides dance and entertainment music until the 1980s was often with radio and television music task of a big band. Here, the music evolved away from the roots of jazz, from which then the (free and "wild" ) improvisation almost completely disappeared. Many bands were disbanded in the 1980s due to inefficiencies, such as the New York band of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra.
Today's big band repertoire ranges due to the diversity of voices from old jazz to upscale entertainment and dance music, but also to new, comprehensive interpretations and whole -length concert works. Contemporary big bands, combine old traditions with new developments, such as are Today, the NDR Big Band, the WDR Big Band, as well as the Lincoln Jazz Orchestra, the care of the classical repertoire and techniques from the early days of the development dedicated to jazz.
Improvisations
As a rule, big- band arrangements space for only solo improvisations in which a player from one of the sections improvised and the rhythm section of the Big Band accompanied the improviser. If necessary, the improvisation is backed with one or a few simple ( unison ) Accompanying parts of the sections. Collective improvisation, as found for example in Dixieland ensembles, however, very rarely provided.
Well-known big band leader
Big bands are often inextricably linked with the name of their band leader. Among the best known include:
- Dizzy Gillespie ( Dizzy Gillespie Big Band ), Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Kurt Widmann, Bert Kaempfert, Bill Holman, Bob Crosby, Brian Setzer, Buddy Rich, Carla Bley, Kurt Edelhagen, Count Basie, George Olsen, Dajos Béla, Dick Wille Brandt, Duke Ellington, Efim chess master, Ernst van 't Hoff, Erwin Lehn, Fletcher Henderson, Gene Krupa, Gil Evans, Stan Kenton, Don Ellis, Glenn Miller, Jay McShann, Gerry Mulligan (The Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band ), Hazy Osterwald, Horst Jankowski, Hugo Strasser, James Last, Jimmy Dorsey, Karel Krautgartner, Max Greger, Max Hull, Paul Godwin, Paul Kuhn, Pepe Lienhard, Peter Herbolzheimer, Shep Fields, Thad Jones, Tommy Dorsey, Toshiko Akiyoshi / Lew Tabackin, Werner Müller, Günter Noris, Chick Webb, Klaus Hallen, Thilo Wolf, Quincy Jones, Dani Felber, and Gordon Goodwin.