List of big bands

Main article: Big band

While the Big Band Era suggests that big bands flourished for a short period, they have been a part of jazz music since their emergence in the 1920s when white concert bands adopted the rhythms and musical forms of small African-American jazz combos. While their place in popular culture dimmed greatly since their heyday in WWII, modern big band has made a resurgence, with the Roy Hargrove Big Band nominated for a Grammy and the Christian McBride Big Band winning a Grammy in 2012.

A

• Ray Anthony & His Orchestra
• Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band
• Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra - afrobeat
• Darcy James Argue's Secret Society - jazz, steampunk
• Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra - afrobeat
• Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra
• The Auburn Knights Orchestra - swing, jazz

B

• BBC Big Band - jazz
• BBC Northern Dance Orchestra - swing music
• Charlie Barnet Big Band - jazz, swing
• Count Basie Orchestra - jazz, swing
• Beantown Swing Orchestra - swing
• Louie Bellson
• Tex Beneke Orchestra
• Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra – free jazz
• Bill Berry
• Big Band Jazz de México
• The Birdland Big Band - jazz
• Carla Bley Big Band and The Very Big Carla Bley Band – jazz, post bop
• Bohuslän Big Band - jazz
• Rob McConnell's Boss Brass - jazz
• Anthony Braxton's Creative Music Orchestra
• Les Brown and His Band of Renown - swing
• Brussels Jazz Orchestra - jazz

C

• The Cab Calloway Orchestra
• The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut
• Ralph Carmichael Big Band
• Benny Carter
• Casa Loma Orchestra
• Chopteeth - afrobeat
• Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
• Spade Cooley - jazz, swing
• Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra
• Bob Crosby

D

• Dallas Jazz Orchestra
• John Dankworth Big Band - jazz, film music
• Pierre Dørge's New Jungle Orchestra
• The Dorsey Brothers - jazz
• Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
• Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra
• DR Big Band - jazz
• Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

E

• Billy Eckstine Orchestra - jazz, swing, bebop
• Ray Eberle and His Orchestra
• Either/Orchestra
• Duke Ellington and His Orchestra - jazz, orchestral jazz, swing
• Les Elgart
• Larry Elgart
• The Don Ellis Orchestra
• Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra
• Gil Evans & His Monday Night Orchestra a.o. – jazz, third stream, fusion jazz

F

• Maynard Ferguson
• Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm
• Ralph Flanagan Big Band - jazz
• Bob Florence's Limited Edition
• The Flying Horse Big Band (formerly the UCF Jazz Ensemble I) - jazz, swing, Afro-Cuban jazz, Latin jazz
• Francia Jazzline Orchestra - smooth & modern jazz, swing

G

• Michael Gibbs Orchestra
• Jean Goldkette
• Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra - jazz, bebop, Afro-Cuban jazz
• Globe Unity Orchestra – free jazz
• Benny Goodman and His Orchestra - jazz, swing
• Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band - jazz, swing music rhythm and blues
• George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band
• GRP All-Star Big Band

H

• Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra
• Erskine Hawkins
• Ted Heath and his Music - jazz
• Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra - swing music, jazz
• Matthew Herbert Big Band
• Woody Herman
• Art Hickman
• Mark Hilburn and His Orchestra
• Tiny Hill and the Hilltoppers
• Earl Hines Orchestra - jazz, swing music, dixieland
• Bill Holman
• Claude Hopkins and His Orchestra - jazz

I

• ICP Orchestra – free jazz, avant-garde jazz
• International Sweethearts of Rhythm - jazz
• Irakere

J

• Illinois Jacquet
• Harry James Big Band - jazz
• Jazz Composer's Orchestra (founded by Carla Bley & Michael Mantler) - avant-garde jazz
• Jazz Orchestra of the Delta
• The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra
• Buddy Johnson

K

• Hal Kemp Big Band
• Stan Kenton and His Orchestra
• Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy
• Gene Krupa

L

• James Last Orchestra
• Syd Lawrence Orchestra
• Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra - avant-garde jazz, post-bop
• London Jazz Composers' Orchestra
• Loose Tubes – jazz, post-bop
• Joe Loss and His Orchestra
• Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra
• Humphrey Lyttelton Band

M

• Machito
• Magic City Jazz Orchestra
• Henry Mancini Orchestra
• Wingy Manone and His Orchestra
• Matteson-Phillips Tubajazz Consort
• McKinney's Cotton Pickers
• Jay McShann
• Glenn Miller Orchestra
• Mills Blue Rhythm Band
• Mingus Big Band
• Bob Mintzer
• Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band
• David Murray Big Band

N

• Nighthawks Orchestra

O

• King Oliver
• Oxford University Jazz Orchestra

P

• Pacific Mambo Orchestra
• Ed Palermo Big Band
• Gloria Parker
• Duke Pearson Big Band - hard bop, soul jazz, smooth jazz, post-bop
• Ben Pollack
• Lee Presson and the Nails - jazz, swing music (revival), jump blues, cabaret

R

• Boyd Raeburn
• Don Redman and His Orchestra - jazz
• Alvino Rey Orchestra - swing, jazz, exotica
• Buddy Rich Big Band - jazz
• Edmundo Ros and His Orchestra
• Luis Russell and His Orchestra

S

• Sauter-Finegan Orchestra - swing jazz
• Maria Schneider Orchestra
• The Brian Setzer Orchestra - swing music (revival), jump blues
• Artie Shaw and His Orchestra - swing music
• Charlie Spivak
• The Squadronaires
• Sun Ra Arkestra – jazz, avant-garde jazz, free jazz

T

• Jack Teagarden and His Orchestra
• Dan Terry Big Big Band - jazz
• Claude Thornhill
• Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band
• The Top Hatters
• Orrin Tucker and His Orchestra
• Tommy Tucker and His Orchestra

U

• University of London Big Band
• University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band

V

• The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
• Charlie Ventura Band - jazz, bebop
• Billy Vaughn Orchestra
• Vienna Art Orchestra - jazz, third stream, folk music
• Tommy Vig Orchestra

W

• Chris Walden Big Band
• WDR Big Band - jazz
• Chick Webb and His Orchestra - jazz, swing
• Gerald Wilson Big Band - jazz
• Paul Whiteman
• Widespread Depression Orchestra
• Jaco Pastorius's Word of Mouth Orchestra

See also

• Big band remote
• List of American big band bandleaders
• List of British big band leaders
• List of experimental big bands
• Territory Bands