Metro Big Band
Welcome to the official Metro Big Band Website.
The Big Band Genre
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s. Big bands evolved with the times and continue to today. A big band typically consists of approximately 12 to 25 musicians and contains saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. The terms jazz band, jazz ensemble, stage band, jazz orchestra, society band and dance band may be used to describe a specific type of big band. In contrast to smaller jazz combos, in which most of the music is improvised, or created spontaneously, music played by big bands is highly "arranged", or prepared in advance and notated on sheet music. The music is traditionally called 'charts'. Improvised solos may be played only when called for by the arranger.
Big Band Music Since 1945
As jazz evolved and expanded in new directions, major band performances of note did occur from the 1950s to the 1970s. Among those noteworthy performers included: Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Dizzy Gillespie, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Gil Evans, Johnny Richards, Sun Ra, Gary MacFarland, Charles Mingus, Oliver Nelson, Carla Bley, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, Sam Rivers, Don Ellis, and Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. Currently, the genre is represented by many noteworthy modern bands working in the 21st Century, such as: Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Mingus Big Band, Vanguard Orchestra, Charles Tolliver Big Band, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, Dave Holland Big Band and Anthony Braxton Big Band. [ For more information, "Google": big band music ]
