Big Band

A big band is a large musical ensemble that plays jazz music. The term is synonymous with the bands of the Swing Era, which were popular through the 1930s and 1940s, but is generally applied to any large jazz ensemble. The term jazz orch

A big band is a large musical ensemble that plays jazz music. The term is synonymous with the bands of the Swing Era, which were popular through the 1930s and 1940s, but is generally applied to any large jazz ensemble. The term jazz orchestra is also used.

Music for big band is highly 'arranged', leaving only specified gaps for jazz soloists, in contrast to the improvisational nature of most jazz combos.