Here in the East Bay of San Francisco there is a surprising number of big bands. Generally they rehearse weekly. There's no money it, even when there are gigs. They are sometimes referred to as "rehearsal" or "reading" bands.
The bands often have full time working musicians, but also dedicated amateur players. I've seen very few sessions cancelled because of lack of personnel. Rather, there seem to be people available to sub in every chair.
The music varies. Home grown arrangements, or purchased material, some charts dating to the original big band era. Even the oldest material is fun to play. It's living history.
The article focuses on the composers and arrangers, but another article could focus on the culture of the side-men. It is a confluence of art and community.
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Might as well. Gigs pay nothing these days anyway.
The only things that haven't gone up since 1986.. gig wages and TV prices.
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As another reader mentioned, Maria Schneider, -one of the most innovative composer/arrangers for big bands for decades now - is curiously absent from this article as is Nan Schwartz, her outstanding LA counterpart. (Actually, the article leads you to believe that this is an entirely NYC phenomenon, which, of course, it is not.)
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Also surprised that Maria Schneider is not mentioned in this article. Her band has to be foremost in inspiration for big band lovers......nothing to do with the big band sound of the forties.
btw if you ever get a chance to see her, don't miss it. I've lost count of how many grammies she's won.....
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Just love Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, keeping the sound alive on the west coast : )
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Glad to see big band popularity reemerging. As a non-musician, music lover, growing up (born in 1948) in the rock n’ roll era, I always loved big band music.
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Man - you gotta love it when the horn section stands, the drummer kicks it in and they start Swinging - we just lost one of the originals in drummer John Von Ohlen who played with the greats like Kenton, Woody Herman - great music! As John said "It's Gotta Swing"
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Cool. I’m involved in directing a big band these days. This article is inspiring and I’ve shared it with my band mates.
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Waiting for the next Duke Ellington...!
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No mention of one of NYC's best sources of musical fun and adventure, the Mingus Big Band?
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Thanks nytimes for getting the word out. This music needs all the help it can get. I’m glad it’s still out there.
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Back in the day, I thought that big band was a very dated sound. But in the late '80's, I saw the Toshiko Akiyoshi big band at an outdoor venue and they were fantastic; the sound was big and really swinging. I look at that group as a precursor to today's burgeoning scene.
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Isn't it simply terrific that jazz in many forms is thriving, and big bands - which have held on in areas all over the country - are getting audiences? And that talented young performers are out there making their way . . .
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what a strange and frustrating playlist.
it sounds as if they are all very noisy.
there may be some other qualities,
but that's the one that caught the
reviewer's attention.
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There are a few quintessential NYC big bands who were dedicated to keeping this particular flame alive, well before the current revival. George Gee, Vince Giordano, the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra are some of the most notable ones, supplying "period" music for television and film productions as well.
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@SCBirder
Yes, and often found playing for the swing dance / Lindy Hop scene. Back in the late 90's to the early '10's, I saw and danced to them frequently. This music is nothing without the audience out of their seats putting everything they have into the music.
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I suspect much of this is also driven by another quiet revolution: Snarky Puppy and their GroundUp label. The Pups are largely trained at North Texas, still the premier breeding ground for big-band players in the world. SP isn't exactly a big band, but it has a big band mentality. Their approach is creating converts at an impressive pace, and no doubt influencing interest in other large-band formats - many of which are publicized and supported by GroundUp.
Modern music with big band instruments. Brain candy for musicians and those interested in music other than "the usual". Brooklyn-based, to boot - I'm surprised they didn't get a mention in this article.
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@A Cardiologist
Agreed!! My first read through had me wondering why Snarky Puppy wasn't front and center here.
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In the Washington, DC metropolitan area, we have plenty of big bands with players of all ages. They’ve been carrying the tradition of big band swing tunes without fanfare or much financial compensation. It is truly a labor of love. It is my hope that when new compositions are being written they are done with an eye toward the swing dance community. The history of big band swing is a marriage of the dancers and musicians. When that ended, so did the swing era.
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