Welcome today to the Big Band sound of the 1930s and 1940s. We hear orchestras, packed with highly talented musicians and singers, that became a defining feature of this era in music. Some started out as smaller groups, others as jazz and dance bands, and they came into their own during the Swing Era, which began around 1935 and went on into the 1940s. Their recordings reflected an increasing use of arrangements in their performances, and these provided showcases for the jazz talents of the musicians and enhanced the role of the wonderful vocalists who were emerging onto the scene. We listen to that very distinctive big band sound from a lineup of orchestras, including those led by Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and the Dorsey Brothers.
1 Benny Goodman orchestra 1935 I’m Livin’ In A Great Big Way 2:32
2 Bob Crosby orchestra 1938 What’s New 2:59
3 Artie Shaw orchestra 1938 Yesterdays 3:21
4 Charleston Chasers 1930 You’re Lucky To Me 3:19
5 Larry Clinton orchestra 1938 Dippermouth Blues 3:25
6 Casa Loma orchestra 1937 A Study In Brown 2:58
7 Tommy Dorsey orchestra 1949 I’m in the Mood for Love 3:22
8 Count Basie orchestra 1944 Sugar Hill Shuffle 3:44
9 Charlie Barnet orchestra 1939 Lullaby In Rhythm 2:59
10 Jimmy Dorsey orchestra 1949 Out Of Nowhere 2:57
11 Teddy Wilson orchestra 1939 The Little Things That Mean So Much 2:59
12 Jimmy Lunceford orchestra 1937 Slumming On Park Avenue 3:05
13 Glenn Miller orchestra 1942 Serenade In Blue 3:29