Results for "Big Band"

Carroll Gibbons

Born: January 4, 1903

Carroll Gibbons was a distinguished American-born pianist, bandleader and composer who became a defining figure in British Dance Band music during the 1930s and '40s. Best known for his elegant work with the Savoy Hotel Orpheans, Gibbons brought a refined jazz sensibility to popular music, blending American influences with a uniquely British charm. His smooth arrangements, stylish piano playing, and keen ear for melody earned him acclaim both in the UK and abroad. Gibbons also composed several enduring tunes, including “A Garden in the Rain”, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of light jazz and popular standards.

Tommy Tucker

Born: May 18, 1903

Tommy Tucker was a popular swing-era bandleader, pianist, accordionist and trombonist who led one of the most refined "sweet" bands of the 1930s and '40s. Born Gerald L. Duppler on May 18, 1903, in Souris, North Dakota, Tucker adopted his stage name during his rise in the Midwest dance band circuit. His orchestra gained national attention through novelty recordings for labels such as Columbia and Vocalion, and also by maintaining a polished, danceable style that contrasted with the hotter swing bands of the time. Though not a jazz innovator in the same way as Duke Ellington or Earl "Fatha" Hines, Tucker’s ensemble featured skilled sidemen and occasional jazz soloists, and his music remains a perfect example of the elegant ballroom tradition

Lawrence Welk

Born: March 11, 1903

Before he became a household name as the host of his own self-titled television show, Lawrence Welk was a hardworking bandleader shaped by the rural Midwest, European folk traditions, and the rhythms of early American dance music. Born in 1903 in North Dakota to German-Russian immigrants, Welk’s first musical instrument was the button accordion, and his early gigs were steeped in polka, waltz, and regional styles that prioritized rhythm and melody for the dance floor.

By the 1920s and '30s, Welk was leading bands across the Midwest, developing a style that would eventually be dubbed "champagne music" - smooth, tightly arranged, and bouyant. Beneath its polished surface, however, his orchestras absorbed the styles of the jazz music that was evolving around them. While his band didn't swing in the way that Goodman or Basie's did, they found great success in foxtrots, rumbas and even jazz standards, bended to match their smoothness.

Brian Martin

Award-winning trombonist, composer, and educator Brian Martin is based both in the music scene of his home state of Iowa as well as the Greater Boston area where he currently resides. As a performer, Martin has performed alongside international and national touring artists in addition to leading his own groups. His most ambitious project is his Brian Martin Big Band, an ensemble ranging from 17-20 pieces dedicated to performing his original music, which is composed of musicians from New England and the Midwest.

As a writer, his compositions and arrangements have received accolades from the Jazz Educators Network and DownBeat Magazine

Will Bradley

Born: July 12, 1912

Wilbur Schwichtenberg, born on July 12, 1912, was a popular American trombonist and bandleader who rose to fame in World War II, at the height of the swing era. After playing trombone in New York for various dance orchestras during the 1930s, in 1939 he changed his name to Will Bradley and co-founded his own big band with drummer and singer Ray McKinley. Their orchestra became renowned for popularising African-American boogie woogie rhythms and incorporating them into hits like "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" and  "Scrub Me Mama, with a Boogie Beat." Despite his personal preference for ballads, Bradley's collaborations with McKinley and pianist Freddie Slack helped his band briefly become known as one of the most distinctive hard-swinging outifts in the country

John Yao

Born: June 25, 1977

For almost twenty years, John Yao has been honing his talents as a trombonist, composer and arranger, and cementing his place on the New York City jazz scene. Yao’s lyrical soloing and expressive, round tone, combined with his relentless drive to push the boundaries of harmony and rhythm, have established him as a unique and forward-thinking jazz talent. Yao has earned wide acclaim. In April 2025 he was appointed to the 100th class of Guggenheim Fellows in the field of Music Composition. In 2023, Yao earned a place in both the Rising Star Trombone and Rising Star Big Band categories in the DownBeat Critics Poll.  Lucid Culture proclaims, “John Yao is one of New York’s elite trombonists,” and All About Jazz calls him “a strong compositional voice and effective band-leader able to use his 17-piece band to paint across a wide spectrum and infuse his complex writing with a thoughtful balance of audacity, structure, humor, and sonic might.”

John Sturino

Freddy Martin

Born: December 9, 1906

Freddy Martin (December 9, 1906 - September 30, 1983) was an American tenor saxophonist and bandleader best known for his smooth, danceable arrangements and his adaptations of classical melodies for modern swing music lovers. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Martin began his musical career as a saxophonist and formed his own band in the early 1930s. He gained national attention with his orchestra during the big band era, performing at prestigious hotel ballrooms and being featured on widely-heard radio broadcasts.

Martin's band was known for its sweet style, appealing to audiences who favoured melodic arrangements over the harder "hot" sounds that were also popular at the time. In 1941, he had a major hit with "Tonight We Love," a song based on Tchaikovsky’s "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat." This piece helped define his orchestra's unique classical-pop-jazz fusion approach and naturally became his theme tune. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Martin's band continued to tour and record and featured prominent vocalists such as Clyde Rogers and Merv Griffin.

The Modernaires

Active since: 1934

Formed in the mid-1930s, the Modernaires began as a male vocal quartet known for their tight harmonies and polished sound, initially gaining attention through radio broadcasts and studio work. Their big break came in 1941 when they joined forces with bandleader Glenn Miller, adding Paula Kelly as the female lead and completing the signature lineup. With Miller, the group became a cornerstone of the swing era, contributing to classics like “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “Juke Box Saturday Night.” Their smooth blend and rhythmic precision helped redefine vocal jazz, bridging the gap between pop sensibility and jazz sophistication in an era dominated by big bands.

Sean Imboden

Sean Imboden is an American saxophonist and composer. Sean's music pioneers forward-thinking, original compositions, and presents cutting-edge live performances. Sean has performed and recorded with GRAMMY-winning artists and jazz luminaries, including Slide Hampton, Taylor Eigsti, Mike Rodriguez, Sean Jones, Emmet Cohen, Steve Allee, Kenny Phelps, John Raymond, and Valery Ponomarev (of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers). A long-time member of Indianapolis-based quartet Tucker Brothers, Sean plays on the band’s four critically-acclaimed albums. An active sideman, Sean has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and with the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, and Idina Menzel. Sean toured internationally for many years with various Broadway productions, and as a featured soloist with Blast II. Sean has taught at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and is currently on faculty at Butler University and Ball State University. Sean works with students around the world through his online Virtual Studio.