Who else here is a fan of that Part jazz, Part Swing thing we call Big Band?


If there are some Fans, who is your Favorite Composer


Personally I like:

Tommy Doresy
Glenn Miller
Count Basie
Duke Ellington
Benny Goodman

and two more I can't remember at this time

Glen Miller for sure.

Everyone thinks it is really weird to see a 14 year old kid walking around in a wool Fedora from 1946 and listening to Sinatra, and Big Band, and Swing on his iPod. This is how a typical conversation between me and... well anyone my age, about music would go:

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Person A: Hey... Ian, what kind of music do you have on your iPod?

Me: Big Band, Swing, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bing Crosby

Person A: Who? (slowly backing away)

(Person A runs away)

*****************

But I think this music is the Epitome of cool

Santino, Maybe one day I'll give big band another chance. I've never got into it.

Yay, Always good to get another potential Member of the Exclusive club Big Band Lovers

Swing (and Big Band) is the music I remember from my earliest days. I still have some of the old 78's from Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington.

Great songs like "Sing, Sing, Sing" (Goodman); "In the Mood" and "Little Brown Jug" (Miller); "It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing" (Ellington) will never grow old for me.

Goodman and Ellington, Thanks SC, I couldn't remember their names

It's funny you guys are talking about this now - I was just listening to "In the Mood." I love when it gets really soft and quiet, then moves right back into that jumping and big sound, so I usually end up 'conducting' along with it.

I don't know as much of the music as I'd like, but I certainly love the style of jazz/big band/swing. In 8th grade, I played in a jazz band, which gave me three of my favorites: "A Night in Tunisia," "In a Sentimental Mood" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside."

You just sparked an old love for me Santino. I know how you feel. While I didn't dress up or anything, I was the only person listening to Big Band in high school.

SC nailed it for me. My favorite song would have to be "Little Brown Jug", which I believe is composed by Glenn Miller. Correct me if I'm wrong.

If you enjoy good Big Band drummers then you have to pick up this album: Krupa and Rich. It is Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich dueling drums with a big band in the background. Amazing stuff!

Here is a video of those two on the Sammy Davis Jr. Show (unfortunately the recording didn't pick up all of the symbols, but it is still great).

Damn they're good, Blibble


here is one of my favorites

Ray Anthony's cover of Count Basie's One O'clock Jump

It is REALLY Loud, so if you don't have headphones turn it down low then raise it up to a preferable volume


if vid doesn't work here is the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtOSeBHsRYM

I do like Moonlight Serenade by Glen Miller.

That is a good one here is the Vid for it

Holy Crap you weren't kidding...

Great clip of Krupa and Rich. They were the two best, bar none, of their era. (Personally, I gave the edge to Krupa).

One of my favorite stories from this period was Glenn Miller writing the song "PEnnsylvania 6-5000". His band was playing at the Hotel Pennsylvania (across the street from New York's Penn Station - which is now Madison Square Garden). Miller was dating his wife then and he wanted her to remember the phone number of the hotel (in case she wanted to call him), so he wrote a song with the phone number as the title.

To this day, that same phone number is in existence for the hotel there.

told ya

Wow! I never knew that SC!

See Santino you learn something new on the BB all the time.

The Great thing about Pennsylvania 6-5000 is it has such easy Lyrics to remember:

*Music*

*bell*

PENNSYLVANIA SIX-FIVE THOUSAND

*Music*

*Bell*

PENNSYLVANIA SIX-FIVE THOUSAND

*Music*

*Bell*

PENNSYLVANIA SIX-FIVE THOUSAND

*Music*

*Bell*

PENNSYLVANIA SIX-FIVE OH OH OH

*Music*

It's interesting that many current artists reveal that they were influenced by Sinatra and Big Band. They speak of the technical quality of Sinatra's voice and phrasing and the integration of BB instruments.

And Mig, you can't get into Big Band? Madonne!

Hey cut me some slack I'm trying. I did say I liked Moonlight Serenade by Glen Miller. I also like Sinatra's version also.

That's ok Mig. I don't know a lot of who played/sang what as far as Big Band. However, I do like it. I believe Sinatra was with Tommy Dorsey as was Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney if I am not mistaken. I think Dorsey had a brother as well no? I do remember hearing Count Basie too

I love "In the Mood" (Glen Miller??). If Big Band and Swing are one and the same, I love the early touch of Rock & Roll sound, not to mention the dancing.....when there were actually a lot of dance steps to remember. Looked like fun!!!


TIS

Bett Midler did a big band album a couple of decades ago and it was pretty good.

And TIS, Swing was a generic category and Big Band was a rendition of Swing.

My parents were married in the 1940s and were fantastic dancers. My father loved Swing and it was always playing in our house. My dad's favorite song was Stardust, but he loved all of the songs mentioned above.

Same here. My dad was in the jukebox business so there were literally HUNDREDS of the old 78's in the house and my parents would dance to them frequently. I can still picture them doing a fox trot or the peabody to one of the records (and loving watching them dance).

The "sound" of an orchestral band could not be beat. It was the type of music that got you going and you just HAD to dance (even if you didn't know "how").

Think of the all the different dance styles that came out of that period.... the mambo and cha-cha had the Spanish touch; the Lindy and jive were "sportier" dances; the fox trot was classically elegant.

It must've been a great time to go out dancing/clubbing then.

Looking back from when I was a kid, Lord knows we went a lot of weddings. Your typical Italian wedding, Knights of Columbus Hall, polka band, etc. Many times they'd play a tune in which at least one older (at least to me at that time) couple seemed to have the swing moves down pat, gracefully gliding across the dance floor. I always thought it looked like such fun.

TIS

Very good TIS! You are 100% Correct!



Indeed he did, Jimmy Dorsey, Who was also a famous Big Band Director, Although Tommy was more well know, mainly for his work with Sinatra

I remember my folks telling stories about the weekend dances with two full orchestras for minimal money. I also grew up with the sounds of Big Bands in the house. My father had a mix of Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, etc. I remember the quirky songs like: "The Flat-Foot-Floogie with the Floy-Floy" and Louie Prima and Keelie Smith. It was that period's influence that probably channeled my muscial interests to R&B; Sam and Dave, Motown, and the early rockers like Elvis, Jerry Lee, Chuck Berry. Great stuff Santino. Your musical roots will carry you far.

I remember those dances my parents took us to at the Italian Club. They were great fun and also at the American Legion hall.

Tommy Dorsey. He was the guy who released Johnny Fontaine for $1,000 because Luca Brasi put a gun to his head and Vito Corleone told him either his brains or his signature would be on that contract.

I just loaded my iPod to go "All Christmas All the Time," and immediately selected Count Basie's arrangement of "Jingle Bells." Then played it four more times. This is one of the ten most-played songs on my iTunes, which is unusual considering that it only gets played around five weeks out of the year.

It doesn't just swing, it glides....