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The jazz idiom draws heavily upon improvisation; however, this is not to say that every encounter is a solely unscripted affair. While in smaller ensembles the head of a tune is generally well established with rest left to the artists' interpretation and creation, in the big band there is much more opportunity for a composed perspective, albeit one surrounded by plenty of improvisation. Hence, a morsel of symphonic endeavor can be found in the larger ensemble setting. In this hour, we will explore some big bad bands and their tone, color, and impressions of musical form.
Artist | Track | Album |
Ray Charles | Strike Up the Band | Genius + Soul = Jazz |
Maynard Ferguson | The Lamp Is Low | Boy with Lots of Brass |
Quincy Jones | Hummin' | Gula Matari |
Kenny Clarke & Francy Boland Big Band with Stan Getz |
Touchstone | Change of Scenes |
Buddy Rich | Bouncin' with Bud | Class of '78 |
George Benson | Ready Now That You Are | Big Boss Band |
Charlie Watts | Paint it Black | Charlie Watts Meets the Danish Radio Big Band |
Jack Kerouac & Steve Allen | The Moon Her Majesty | Poetry for the Beat Generation |
Bill Holman | The Moon Is Blue | Bill Holman's Great Big Band |
John Beasley | Evidence | John Beasley presents MONK'estra vol. II |