49,275 Jazz Musicians

Diane Martinson - Vocalist (vocal)

Full time vocalist and business owner of Diane Martinson Music, Inc. providing solo musicians and Jazz Swing bands for events in Minnesota. Diane Martinson has 20 years experience entertaining and coordinating musicians for events in the...

Dick Cully (drums)

Cully, Dick (Richard) was born on April 19th, 1949 in Manhattan, New York to his parents, Richard born 1917 and Jeanette born 1921 in New York. In 1955 they moved to Lyndhurst, New Jersey where he began his musical career at the age of 16...

Dick Johnson (clarinet)

Dick Johnson, perhaps best known for his long stint as frontman for the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Born and grew up in the Brockton, Mass area as part of a musical family. He got his professional start as a musician during a stint with the U.S....

Dick Nash (trombone)

Richard Taylor Nash, for the best part of half a century Dick Nash has been 'first call' in the Hollywood studios, working with such great composers as Alfred Newman, Henry Mancini and John Williams, to name but a few. the well known...

Doc Severinsen (trumpet)

A Grammy award winner, Doc has made more than 30 albums--from big band to jazz-fusion to classical. Two critically acclaimed Telarc CDs with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra showcase his multifaceted talents from Bach to ballads. The Very...

Don (Rades) Rader (trumpet)

Brief History: Don moved from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles in 1942 and had, by that time been playing the trumpet for four years, beginning when he was five years old (inspired by the work of his father, who was a trombone player),...

Don Lanphere (saxophone)

Don Lanphere came to New York when he was 19 and made some impressive recordings with Fats Navarro in 1949, keeping up with the fiery trumpeter. Lanphere played Carnegie Hall with Woody Herman's Second Herd, moved on to Artie Shaw's...

Don Menza (saxophone)

Don Menza is a powerful tenor saxophonist who, although able to effectively imitate most of the top stylists (from Coleman Hawkins to John Coltrane), has a distinctive sound of his own. Menza started playing tenor when he was 13. After...

Don Rader (trumpet)

Born in Pittsburgh, Pa 1935. Moved to Los Angeles 1942 and graduated from high school 1953. Attended Long Beach City College in 1954 then entered to US Navy and graduated from US Naval school of Music in 1955. Attended Sam Houston State...

Don Redman (arranger)

Don Redman is considered the first jazz composer/arranger by many. He was also the first musician with both the inspiration and academic knowledge for this style of music. In short, he invented jazz writing for the big band, not...

Don Shelden (vocal)

Don Shelden, the recording artist known for bringing back the big band sound of the 1940’s with his albums “Imagination,” and “Any Swing Goes,” is the author of the book, “That’s What God Looks Like To Me.”

Shelden is...

Doug Acosta (vocal)

Describe by Sir Terry Wogan/BBC as "A sophisticated talent. . . [the] rarest of bonafide crooners," the award-winning voice of New York City's Doug Acosta and his band have been swaying audiences across the globe. Drawn to the Great...

Doug Ferony (vocal)

Doug Ferony is from the same school of singers that produced the talents from whom he took his performing lead: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Bobby Darin. He is comfortable with a repertoire of tried and true standards & traditional...

Douglass Bratt (percussion)

Chicago area percussionist and educator, Douglass Bratt has performed at the Jazz à Vienne, North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals as well as noted Chicago venues such as the Green Mill, Pops for Champagne and Jazz Showcase. He has...

Dr. Brent Runnels (piano)

Brent Runnels Executive and Artistic Director Brent Runnels directs the Jazz Orchestra Atlanta big band. He has fashioned a broad and diverse musical career as a performer, arts administrator, educator and musical entrepreneur. As a...

Dr. James Polk (piano)

James Polk was one of the key figures in the Austin music scene from the late 1950s through the 1970s. Known in players' circles for his knowledge of the technical aspects of music (theory, composition, etc.), Polk was also responsible for...

Duke Ellington (piano)

By the time of his passing, he was considered amongst the world’s greatest composers and musicians. The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor, while the government of the United States bestowed...

Duke Ellington Center Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Biography Juilliard graduate; choreographed ten companies of Play On!, from San Diego's Old Globe Theater to Broadway, and PBS's Great Performances; Choreographed Ambassador Satch, starring André De Shields, Prince Theater, Philadelphia,...

Duncan Fraser (flugelhorn)

Trumpet/Flugel player, composer & arranger Duncan Fraser is one of the UK's Top young professional musicians. Having graduated on a Music Scholarship from Exeter University and come through the ranks of NYJO, Duncan is now based in London...

Earl MacDonald (composer/conductor/leader)

Earl MacDonald lives jazz, as a performer, composer and educator. His latest CD, “Re:Visions – Works for Jazz Orchestra” received a 2011 Canadian Juno Award nomination for “best traditional jazz album of the year” and has...

Ed Puddick (arranger)

Arranger and leader of the Ed Puddick Big Band. Formed in 2004 and one of the leading jazz ensembles in the UK.

Ed Shaughnessy (drums)

Edwin T. Shaughnessy was born 29 January 1929, in Jersey City, New Jersey. A self-taught drummer, Shaughnessy came to prominence, mainly in the New York area, in the late 40s working with George Shearing, Jack Teagarden, Georgie Auld and...

Ed Thorne (drums)

Biography missing, add it now.

Eddie Chamblee (sax, tenor)

Eddie “Long Gone” Chamblee was one of the stalwarts of the solid Rhythm & Blues scene to come out of Chicago in the post war years, and made quite a name for himself on the record charts while gaining a reputation as a dynamic...

Eddie Durham (multi-instrumentalist)

Eddie Durham, one of the most important Swing Era composer/arrangers, was born in San Marcos, Texas, on August 19, 1906. His father played the fiddle at square dances, and his oldest brother, Joe, who played cello briefly with Nat King...

Eddie Reed (band/ensemble/orchestra)

In the 1990s, when someone refers to "traditional big band swing," there is always an implication of the Lawrence Welk variety: music played by old people for old people with slowed tempos, overplayed melodies, stock arrangements, trite...

Eddy Duchin (composer/conductor/leader)

Eddy Duchin - pianist, bandleader (1910 - 1951) The most famous of the piano showman, Eddy Duchin (his first name sometimes spelled ''Eddie'') began his career in 1928 with Leo Reisman's orchestra at New York's Central Park Casino,...

Ediz Hafizoglu (drums)

Musical life of Ediz Hafızoglu, who was born in Silistra/Bulgaria on 19 September 1980 started with his father’s teaching him how to play "darbuka" and especially with his learning to play "saz" as a result of the insistence of his...

Edward Nuccilli (trumpet)

Ed Nuccilli,legendary jazz trumpeter, arranger, composer and bandleader has been a mainstay on the Detroit music scene for 40+ years. Ed developed the Plural Circle 17 piece orchestra in the early 1980's and continues to perform today. All...

Edward Partyka (composer/conductor/leader)

Ed Partyka is a bass trombonist/tubist, composer/arranger and conductor. Originally from Chicago Illinois, he received a BA degree from Northern Illinois University before moving to Germany in 1990. He completed a Masters Degree in...

Eldon Payne (trombone)

Eldon was born in Morristown, TN and graduated cum laude from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a B.S. in Business Administration in 1979. He moved to Tampa, FL in the spring of 1980 and retired from Delta Air Lines with...

Ella Fitzgerald (vocal)

Dubbed "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums. Her voice was...

Ella Mae Morse (vocal)

Ella Mae Morse was one of the most exciting vocalists of the ‘40s and ‘50s, a hard-to-classify, Texas-born white singer whose vocals were deeply influenced by her apprenticeship with a black guitarist who taught her the blues. Her...

Elliot Deutsch (trumpet)

A Southern California native, Elliot Deutsch is quickly making a name for himself on the L.A. jazz scene as a bandleader, composer, and trumpeter. Since March 2007, Deutsch has led the 17-piece Elliot Deutsch Big Band, acting as its...

Erskine Hawkins (trumpet)

Jazz trumpeter, Erskine Hawkins, was born in Birmingham, Alabama July 26, 1914. A talented high-note trumpeter and a popular bandleader, Erskine Hawkins was nicknamed "The 20th Century Gabriel." He learned drums and trombone before...

Fat Cat Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Fat Cat Big Band is a musical pride of eleven lions in their own fields, fueled by the dynamic creative leadership of guitarist, composer, and arranger Jade Synstelien. Synstelien was born on August 17th, 1974, in Minneapolis. A...

Feigl (sax, tenor)

Biography - dates - Sigi Feigl Studies: Master Degrees in clarinet classic and saxophone jazz at the University of Music, Graz. Works: 1987 - 1989 member of orchestra „Vereinigte Bühnen Wien“ (musical shows at Raimundtheater,...

Fletcher Henderson (arranger)

The bands Fletcher Henderson led in the 1920s and 1930s were vitally significant incubators of new developments in jazz. Henderson played a key role in bringing improvisatory jazz styles from New Orleans and other areas of...

Florian Ross (piano)

Born in 1972, he studied piano and composition in Cologne, London and New York with John Taylor, Joachim Ullrich, Bill Dobbins, Django Bates, Don Friedman and Jim McNeely. The first of Ross's six albums was released in 1998 under his own...

Flying Dragon Orchestra (composer/conductor/leader)

18 piece modern jazz ensemble fusing traditional big band sounds with many outside influences including classical, alternative, rock, hip-hop, electronica and nu-jazz. "Following a 10,000 year sleep, the Flying Dragon ascends from...

Frank Capp (drums)

Frank Capp, a flexible and consistently swinging drummer, loves to drive a big band. As leader of the Juggernaut (a group he co-led with Nat Pierce starting in 1975, until the pianist's death in 1992), he got to push and inspire some of...

Frank Osborne (guitar)

Biography missing, add it now.

Frankie Trumbauer (saxophone)

After serving in the US Navy during World War I, Frankie Trumbauer became a professional musician, working first in local bands before moving to Chicago to play and record with the Benson Orchestra and Ray Miller. In 1925-6, he led a band...

Fred Astaire (vocal)

Elegance is usually an imposition, a set of mannerisms employed by the swells to cover their emptiness and maintain their distance from us plebeians. Fred Astaire's achievement -- no, his glory -- was that he made elegance infectious. He...

Freddie Green (guitar, acoustic)

Freddie Green was the guitarist in what is generally considered to be the best rhythm section in the history of big band jazz, and dubbed the All-American Rhythm Section, which featured Count Basie, bassist Walter Page, and drummer Jo...

Frisco Jazz Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Frisco Jazz Band is a community-based, 19 piece big band performing jazz and dance standards based in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. We are a non-profit, all volunteer organization benefiting the City of Frisco and the neighboring...

Full Count Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

We are a contemporary big band with five saxes, four trombones, four trumpets, and completing this dynamic ensemble, piano, synthesizer, bass, drums and guitar. Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman to name a...

Full Spectrum Jazz big band

The highly acclaimed Full Spectrum Jazz has delighted audiences with traditional and modern jazz since 1996. Performance styles range from laid-back Count Basie swing to poly-rhythmic modern Latin. Full Spectrum Jazz has a diverse...

Gail Thompson (sax, baritone)

A gifted British baritone player, composer, flutist, and big-band leader, Gail Thompson’s music is comparable to that of Quincy Jones or Abdullah Ibrahim. Along with her hard bop jazz sound, she stirs in a soulful touch of African spirit...

Gary Tole (trombone)

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Gary Tole began playing the trombone at the age of twelve. By the age of sixteen, he was working with the all the shows that came into the Pittsburgh area. After attending Duquesne University School of...

Gary Urwin (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra is an eighteen-piece “big band” jazz group in Los Angeles that came into being in 1997, comprised of hand-picked players with whom leader Gary Urwin had been associated over the years as an arranger and...

Gavin Jones (various)

An eclectic singer who can perform in a range of styles from Big Band to Pop to Soul and Rock. Powerful vocalist with a fabulous stage presence.

Gene Krupa (drums)

Gene Krupa was easily one of the most colorful personalities of the big band era. Despite his outrageous stage persona, Krupa was a serious and disciplined musician whose vision changed the role of drummer forever and who helped...

Gene Puerling (vocal)

Gene Puerling, leader of the innovative vocal quartet the Hi-Lo's and a noted vocal arranger whose sophisticated harmonies influenced the sound of other groups, including the Beach Boys The Hi-Lo's rich sound sprang from Puerling...

George Gee (band/ensemble/orchestra)

While he was a Freshman at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, George Gee launched his Make-Believe Ballroom program (named after the vintage Martin Block show) on the college radio station - and told everyone who’d...

George Jones (trombone)

Biography missing, add it now.

George Roberts (trombone)

George began his career with Ray Robbins Band before joining Gene Krupa in 1947, where he was in the same section with Urbie Green. It was Urbie's lyric tenor trombone playing that inspired George to be an Urbie, one octave...

George Rose (trumpet)

Band was originally formed in 1983 and played mostly classic swing tunes.Since has evolved through various stages including pop, R&B and Big Band Jazz. Have accumulated a large library of tunes, (many custom arranged) and can cope with...

George Wein (piano)

George Wein is the man who is arguably the father of the jazz festivals movement. Though he is known first and foremost for his long career as a jazz producer and impresario, George Wein is also a jazz musician. Though his far-flung...

Georgia Carroll (vocal)

Carroll's first brush with celebrity was when she was the model for "The Spirit of the Centennial" statue at the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. The statue still stands in front of what is now The Women's...

Gerald Wilson (composer/conductor/leader)

Back in 1939, Gerald Wilson joined the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra as a trumpet soloist and an arranger. 66 years later, Wilson is still very active, having long been considered one of the top arrangers, composers and big band leaders in...

Gilad Hatsav (Chazav) (piano)

A child prodigy - he mastered the piano and composed melodies when he was 6 years old.Soon he was accepted to the music conservatory in Tiberius where he began his formal musical education learning piano and trumpet He continued his...

Glenn Miller (trombone)

Shortly after the beginning of the 20th century, in a small rural Southwestern Iowa town, a boy was born to Elmer and Mattie Lou Miller. The date was March 1, 1904 and the town was Clarinda. The boy that was born that night was named Alton...

Gloria Parker (percussion)

Gloria Parker "Princess of the Marimba" has spent a lifetime creating and performing music to the delight of people of all ages. A consumate entertainer and musician, Gloria fronted several bands including the all-girl band, "Gloria Parker...

Golden Big Band Prague (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Golden Big Band Prague is new Big Band from Czech Republic.

Gordon Goodwin (composer/conductor/leader)

GORDON GOODWIN " As winner of the 2006 Grammy Award for his Instrumental Arrangement of Incredits from the Pixar film The Incredibles, as well as three-time Emmy Award winner and five-time Grammy nominee, you would think that Goodwin had...

Greg Fugal (saxophone)

I first started playing when I was 12. I received my horn, a zephyr, from my great ant. I first started on alto then I eventually played on all three saxophones extensively at one point in my band career. I started in classical but was...

Guy Lombardo (composer/conductor/leader)

Guy Lombardo was more than just an orchestra leader, he was an institution. Every New Year's Eve at the stroke of midnight millions of listeners from all across America would tune in, via radio and later television, to hear Lombardo and...

Hale Baskin (vocal)

Hale Baskin--So young, so good, so “Classic” Swinging young singer delivers on early promise with hot new CD Jazz lovers who have been following the career of San Francisco Bay Area singer Hale Baskin since she began winning local...

Harley White Jr (composer/conductor/leader)

Bassist, Composer, Arranger Since 1991, Harley White Jr. has been a prominent figure on the Sacramento music scene in a wide array of roles from pop recording artist with “Papa’s Culture”, as a creative force with...

Harold Bovi (bass, acoustic)

Biography missing, add it now.

Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet)

Harry "Sweets" Edison is one of the few players in the history of jazz trumpet who could be instantly identified after only a few notes; along with Bobby Hackett, he was acknowledged as one of the few master...

Harry Carney (sax, baritone)

Harry Carney was a long tenured featured soloist in Duke Ellington's band and the first baritone saxophone soloist in jazz. Carney joined Duke Ellington's Orchestra when he was 17 in 1927 and remained for over 46 years, passing away in...

Harry James (trumpet)

One of the most popular bandleaders of the wartime era, Harry James is best remembered today for his colorful trumpet playing and as the husband of pin-up girl Betty Grable. Born in a run-down hotel next to the city jail in Albany,...

Harry Prime (vocal)

Big Band Vocalist, Harry Prime Harry Prime Unfortunately, very little information existed regarding this Excellent Big Band Vocalist who performed from the late forties through the mid-fifties. Those few entries, which were published,...

Hassan (JJ Wiggins) Shakur (bass, acoustic)

Hassan A. Shakur (J.J. Wiggins), son of pianist Gerald Wiggins, Sr., was born April 15, 1956 in Los Angeles, California. He learned to play bass at age four (standing on a chair) and with his father as a guide, developed a high...

Helen Humes (vocal)

Helen Humes - vocalist ( 1913 - 1982) Helen Humes hails from Louisville, Kentucky, she came from a happy, close-knit musical family and learned to play trumpet and piano when she was young. As a child she sang with the local Sunday...

Helen Ward (vocal)

Helen Ward was one of the most popular singers of the big band era, becoming a national sensation as vocalist for the Benny Goodman Orchestra. Helen Ward was born in New York City on Sept. 19, 1916, studied piano as a child before...

Helge Albin (sax, alto)

The Artistic leader of the Tolvan Big Band from southern Sweden and the area around the coastal town of Malmö. A powerhouse organisation with an international reputation of the most up-to-date and ambitious Big Bands anywhere in the world.

Henri Gerrits (arranger)

Henri Gerrits - Trombonist/Composer/Arranger Henri studied trombone at the Enschede Conservertory in the 80’s. 10 years after that he studied arranging- & composing with Joan Reinders and graduated in the 1999’s. After his study he...

Herbert Maximillum Haymer (sax, tenor)

This biography is created in 'Loving Memory' of my father, Herbert (Herbie) M. Haymer. It is also dedicated to my wife Nancy, daughters, Cynthia and Lisa, son Bruce, Granddaughters Danielle, Brittany and Shellsea, Grandsons Charles Jr. and...

Highland Park Pops Big Band (multi-instrumentalist)

The Highland Park Pops Big Band is a 17-piece jazz band that plays swing tunes, jazz favorites, dance music and big band standards. Performing primarily in the northern Chicago suburbs, the Highland Park Pops Big Band is interested in...

Hilton Jefferson (sax, alto)

A reliable and invaluable mainstay in the best black bands of the swing era, Hilton Jefferson raised the standard of every horn section he played in. His first gigs were playing banjo for the Julian Arthur Orchestra at the Hay Theater...

Horace Heidt Jr. (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Horace Heidt and the Musical Knights is one of the longest running big bands in music history, touring across the nation and abroad. Veterans of radio and television as well, they bring such professionalism in their performances as to have...

Hot Lips Page (trumpet)

Known as a scorching soloist and powerful vocalist, Oran “Hot Lips” Page was one of the Midwest's top trumpet players. Oran Thadeus Page was born in Dallas, Texas, on January 27, 1908. Page's mother, a schoolteacher and...

Houcine Harrabi

Houcine Harrabi is the manager and producer for Circle, Audiophile and Progressive Records a subsidiary of the George H.Buck, Jr, Jazz Foundation in New Orleans, LA

Ilio Volante (sax, tenor)

ILIO VOLANTE Was born in Italy on 15 of May 1964, he was still a teen ager when he started his music studies (saxophone) showing from the very beginning a particular predisposition towards the music composition and Jazz music. At the age...

Imogene Lynn (vocal)

Vocalist Imogene Lynn began her career singing in society orchestras, including that of Emerson Gill. In 1942 she joined Ray McKinley's new band, where she became a featured singer, recording such tunes as ''Big Boy'' and ''Who Wouldn't...

International Sweethearts of Rhythm (band/ensemble/orchestra)

International Sweethearts of Rhythm - band/ensemble This was the first racially integrated women's band and it lasted for over a decade, playing to primarily black audiences in theaters and ballrooms across the country. At the Howard...

Isaac Belot (trumpet)

Bass & Brass Big Band leader and arranger, also an independent movie maker.

Issie Barratt (composer/conductor/leader)

Issie Barratt, founder of Fuzzy Moon Music and Fuzzy Moon Records, is an internationally active composer, conductor, arranger, baritone player and educator who has been awarded commissions by the Philharmonia Orchestra, The Orchestra of...

Ivie Anderson (vocal)

Considered one of the finest singers of the golden age of jazz, Ivie Anderson was a fluent vocalist who impressed many with her blues and scat phrasings. Most impressed was Duke Ellington, who kept her on as vocalist for eleven years...

Jack Cortner (arranger)

Coming soon.

Jack M. Taylor, Jr. (trumpet)

Jack Taylor is a Software Testing Specialist in the ATC (Automation, Testing and Configuration) group of TCO specializing in manual testing. Jack has 20 years of experience in software testing (mostly at Sprint, 13 years), has served in...

Jack Nimitz (sax, baritone)

Although he has had a long and productive career, Jack Nimitz has long been underrated, not getting a chance to lead his own record session until a 1995 set for Fresh Sound, when he was already 65.

He started on the clarinet when he...

Jack Sperling (drums)

The definitive American Big Band and studio drummer. He was a recording artist, versatile jazz combo and dynamic Dixieland musician. In 1941 he played with trumpeter {{Bunny Berigan = 4938}}. Following the end of World War II Jack, along...

James Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The James Hamilton Jazz Orchestra was set up to play original compositions by award winning Leeds based composer James Hamilton. It started with a one off demo recording date in June 2007, the following summer they performed at 7 Arts in...

James Jabbo Ware (composer/conductor/leader)

James Jabbo Ware began his professional career as a versatile saxophonist/composer/ arranger in 1962 with the Black Artist Group of St. Louis (whose members included Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill and Hamiett Bluiett). He went on to serve in...

James L. Guter (sax, tenor)

Retired Fine Arts Department Chair and Director of Bands, Jim has been active in music education in Illinois, Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, and Connecticut as a Band Director and Supervisor. He belongs to many state and national...

James Reese Europe (composer/conductor/leader)

During the first two decades of the twentieth century, James Reese Europe emerged as the most renowned bandleader of New York's entertainment world. Famed for his syncopated orchestral accompaniment of the dancing team of Irene and Vernon...

James Richard Smith (clarinet)

He was born in Chestertown, Maryland in 1990. He moved to North Carolina about a month after He was born. He lived in Morganton, North Carolina for a long time. Here is where he would play my first musical instrument in a band. He played...

Jared Ribble (drums)

Jared Ribble was born in Neenah, Wisconsin on May 2, 1979. It was growing up in this small paper industry town that God cultivated in young Jared a desire to play drums. His parents graciously bought him his first drum set when he was...

Jaroslav Jezek (composer/conductor/leader)

Jaroslav Jezek: 1906 (Czechoslovakia) - 1942 (New York). Jezek was a brilliant jazz composer and leader of a big band in addition to a career as a classical composer and pianist. In November 1934, the young composer – he was 28 at...

Jason Nazzaro (vocal)

Jason Nazzaro croons the wonderful song book of Frank Sinatra.

Jay McShann (piano)

“The Last of the Blue Devils” Jay “Hootie” McShann landed in Kansas City in the 1930s, and along with fellow pianist and bandleader Count Basie, established what came to be known as the Kansas City sound: blues rooted jazz driven...

Jaymz Bee (composer/conductor/leader)

Jaymz Bee and his Royal Jelly Orchestra Get "Seriously Happy" On Their Tenth Anniversary. After spending the late 1980's and early 1990's touring Europe and North America with Canada's legendary "Look People", and then handling Musical...

Jazz Arts Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Founded in 1991, the Jazz Arts Big Band is truly unique in America’s musical landscape as one of a few nonprofit repertory jazz organizations. The Jazz Arts Big Band has grown and flourished under the tender loving care of its staff,...

Jazz Celebration Big Band (trombone)

17 piece jazz orchestra featuring vocalist Claudia Perry

Jazzkwest (vocal)

JAZZKWEST specializes in Classic Jazz Songbook Standards of the 1930's and 40's and beyond. Rebekah Gundunas Montoya-Lead Vocals, Chuck Mancini-Guitar/Vocals, Bob Steele-Bass, John McDonald-Drums. We are long established in the San...

Jean-Claude Naude (trumpet)

Biography missing, add it now.

Jeff Fairbanks Project Hansori (composer/conductor/leader)

JEFF FAIRBANKS' PROJECT HANSORI, NYC-based 17-piece Jazz orchestra, plays the original Asian folk-influenced music of award-winning composer Jeff Fairbanks. The band's eagerly awaited debut album "Mulberry Street", which won an American...

Jeremy Levy (composer/conductor/leader)

Composer/Arranger/Orchestrator, Jeremy Levy has worked in nearly every medium in Los Angeles. As an orchestrator, he adds his musical touch to scores in film, television, and video games. Recent projects include Tower Heist, The...

Jerry Floor (clarinet)

I am the Artistic Director for the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival. As a jazz musician, (clarinet, alto sax, flute, piccolo) I have performed on many jazz festivals to include the Park City Jazz Festival, Snowbird Blues & Jazz...

Jim Cutler (saxophone)

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jim began playing the clarinet at age 10, and by age 12 had started playing along with solos by Benny Goodman, Arte Shaw, and Jimmy Dorsey from his parents' record collection. By age 14 he knew he had a...

Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra

In January of 2004, the Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra was created to be the house big band at Tula's restaurant in Seattle. Featuring some of the most talented musicians and composers in the Puget Sound area, this 16 piece big band carries on...

Jim E Anderson (drums)

My earliest musical performance experiences were in school bands and choirs and Christmas Caroling with my church. I began playing and studying drums in the fifth grade. In the 8th grade I was a featured soloist in a summer Big Band class....

Jim Knapp Orchestra (composer/conductor/leader)

Jim Knapp, director of the Jim Knapp Orchestra, trumpet player, composer, and teacher was born in Chicago, received BA and MA degrees in Music Composition from the University of Illinois, and lives in Seattle. He has served as director of...

Jim Pugh (trombone)

Jim Pugh is a distinguished trombonist, composer, and educator. The inspiring virtuosity and wonderful versatility he has demonstrated during the course of his career has caused Jim to be often honored as the "musician’s musician"....

Jimmie Lunceford (composer/conductor/leader)

Jimmie Lunceford led what many consider to be the best swing orchestra of the 1930s. Flashy and talented, Lunceford's band was without a doubt the most entertaining of its day. No one who saw it in performance could ignore the group's...

Jimmy Blanton (bass, acoustic)

In his short tenure with Duke Ellington, Jimmy Blanton became the first great double bass virtuoso in jazz. Blanton had both the technique and the fine tone to take this style of playing to higher levels. Blanton took the bass, which had...

Jimmy Cannon (vocal)

I’m a Singer, Saxophonist, and Bandleader. Born in Wimbledon, London 1972. My first musical memory was tapping inanely on my desk at school, probably encouraged by my dad, who used to be a drummer and taught me a “Paradiddle”...

Jimmy Dorsey (composer/conductor/leader)

James "Jimmy" Dorsey the older of the two Dorsey brothers was a child prodigy who began his musical career at the age seven playing the slide trumpet and cornet with his father's brass band at local parties. His father was a working class...

Jimmy Forrest (sax, tenor)

Big-toned tenor saxophonists were nurtured, as a rule, in the big bands of the Thirties and Forties. Jimmy Forrest, known for his huge hit “Night Train,” was featured in the orchestras of Andy Kirk and Duke Ellington, and then struck...

Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet)

Jimmy Hamilton was for a quarter-century a mainstay of jazz's most important large ensemble, the Duke Ellington Orchestra. On clarinet, Hamilton was a model of polished, cool style and substance, while his less often featured work on tenor...

Jimmy Wyble (guitar, electric)

Jimmy Wyble is one of the few guitarists who made a mark in both country & western and jazz, his discography naturally crashing through a few supposedly fenced-in genre boundaries to get him from Benny Goodman to Bob Wills. The latter...

Jiver Hutchinson (trumpet)

A native of Jamaica where he was born in 1906, Leslie ‘Jiver’ Hutchinson began playing trumpet as a young man, notably in the "British West Indies Regimental Band" (Jamaica). In 1924, that band, with Hutchinson, went to England to play...

Jo Jones (drums)

Papa Jo Jones was the drum anchor in the famous All American Rhythm Section by way of his work with Count Basie's band. Jones redefined the concept of a drummer. He lightened up on the four-beats-to-the-bar standard of bass drum playing,...

Joachim Kunze (trumpet)

German Trumpetplayer

Joe Clark (composer/conductor/leader)

Joe Clark is an active composer and arranger of music in a wide variety of styles and idioms. Working with Dr. Cliff Colnot, Clark is an arranger for The Institute for Learning, Access and Training at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,...

Joe Clark Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Joe Clark is an active composer and arranger of music in a wide variety of styles and idioms. Working with Dr. Cliff Colnot, Clark is an arranger for The Institute for Learning, Access and Training at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,...

Joe Gray (saxophone)

Joe Gray is an alumnus of California State University Northridge Music Department. Upon graduating with a B.A in Music he played in many horn bands of the time and did studio work. He was a member of the elite Hollywood Horns, The Vic...

Joe Muccioli (composer/conductor/leader)

Joe Muccioli is an internationally known conductor, orchestrator, musicologist and producer. Muccioli is co-founder and artistic director of the Jazz Arts Project, Inc. and its flagship ensemble the Red Bank Jazz Orchestra, an all star...

Joe Temperley (saxophone)

Joe Temperley (saxophones) was born in Scotland and first achieved prominence in the United Kingdom as a member of Humphrey Lyttelton's band from 1958 to 1965. He toured the United States with the band in 1959. In 1965, he came to New York...

Joey Thomas Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Biography missing, add it now.

John Burnett

The John Burnett Orchestra specializes in '40s-style big band swing - keeping alive the sounds of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and others. Each musician is highly professional and most have played with many of the...

John Dankworth (saxophone)

Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, known in his early career as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinetist. He was the husband of jazz singer Cleo Laine. Born in Woodford, Essex, he grew up, within a...

John Fedchock (trombone)

John Fedchock established his career as a jazz trombonist in 1980 when he joined the legendary Woody Herman Orchestra. He toured with Woody's "Thundering Herd" for seven years, during which time he was musical director and a featured...

John Kirby (bass, acoustic)

John Kirby led a most unusual group during the height of the big-band era, a sextet comprised of trumpeter Charlie Shavers, clarinetist Buster Bailey, altoist Russell Procope, pianist Billy Kyle, drummer O'Neil Spencer and his own bass....

John La Barbera (arranger)

Grammy nominated composer/arranger John La Barbera started playing cornet when he was five years old. At the age of seven he was playing gigs with his parents and brothers Pat, and Joe in the La Barbera Family Band. By the late sixties...

John Larson (drums)

John Larson has been involved with performing, teaching and promoting Jazz for 40 years in the Midwest. He has influenced and guided 100's of young drummers towards learning and appreciating the art of jazz and jazz drumming. Amonst his...

John M. Somers (trumpet)

On a cold winter night, five years ago, I had a DREAM to create a unique "hand-picked" 18 piece swing orchestra from within the New York City/New Jersey area. My DREAM selected all the musicians based on personality, love of the music and...

John Philip Sousa (composer/conductor/leader)

John Philip Sousa had been a conductor since 1878 and had been a musician since about 1861. The Famous Sousa Band, his own organization, has been in existence for nearly forty years and for the twenty years immediately preceding he was the...

John Warren (composer/conductor/leader)

John Warren is an internationally acclaimed composer/ arranger who has been commissioned by the foremost jazz ensembles across Europe. Amongst them are the Danish Radio Big Band; John Surman Octet; WDR Big Band, Cologne; BBC Big Band;...

Johnny Carson (drums)

Johnny Carson and Jazz The late and great Steve Allen, originator of the “Tonight Show” format, was well known as a jazz fan, friend to jazz musicians and a pretty decent jazz pianist. Few remember that Allen really went out on the...

Johnny Crawford (vocal)

Johnny comes from a family of musicians and was performing from the time he could walk. In 1955 his singing impersonation of Johnnie Ray led to a contract with Disney, where he became one of the original Mouseketeers. As an actor, Johnny...

Johnny Hodges (sax, alto)

"Never the world's most highly animated showman or greatest stage personality, but a tone so beautiful it sometimes brought tears to the eyes, this was Johnny Hodges. Because of this great loss, our band will never sound the same....

Johnny K (vocal)

Whether crooning jazz standards, riding the surf, throwing pots or making a film, Johnny K is a connoisseur of life. His love of music, adventure, art, and people prompt him to entertain and be entertained. Every endeavor is, in fact, an...

Jon C. McGahan (trumpet)

After Studies at Illinois Wesleyan University and Roosevelt University. Mr. McGahan found himself the chief arranger for both the Deja Vu Big Band and the Ron Smolen Orchestra. Since 1986, Jon has been actively composing, arranging and...

Jon Haaland (composer/conductor/leader)

Jon Haaland Storband er mitt prosjektband. Det gjør det mulig for meg å få framført egne komposisjoner for stort jazzorkester. Hvem som spiller kan variere, men det som ligger fast er et band bestående av 17 musikere i en tradisjonell...

Jon McGahan-Stardust Big Band (trumpet)

One of the most popular big bands in Chicago during the 1980's and 90's was the Deja Vu Big Band. Now, several veterans of that group have come together once again to form the Stardust Big Band. Led by veteran multi-instrumentalist and...

Jon Ritchie (sax, baritone)

Glasgow based saxophonist and band leader, Jon Ritchie.

Jonathan Eno (trumpet)

Biography missing, add it now.

Jorge Pacheco (piano)

Nace el 26 de agosto en Juchitán de Zaragoza Oaxaca. Desde temprana edad mostró vocación por la música. Su primer acercamiento fue a la guitarra para posteriormente empezar sus estudios en forma al piano a los 12 años de...

Josh Mizruchi (trumpet)

Josh Mizruchi is a 20-year-old trumpet player who possesses the rare combination of a very strong technical command of the instrument with heart and creativity. Because of these strengths, he is able to adapt to a vast variety of musical...

Joshua Neale (bass, acoustic)

Joshua began playing bass at age 14, graduating to upright bass at 18. He holds a BM in Jazz Performance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, and is currently working on a Master's in Jazz Studies at same.

Joshua Shneider (composer/conductor/leader)

Composer and Saxophonist Joshua Shneider has enjoyed a career that has included writing for and playing with some of the most inspiring and inspired artists of our time. He has had his compositions and arrangements performed by such...

Juan Tizol (trombone)

Juan Tizol was born in San Juan Puerto Rico on Jan. 22, 1900, started music lessons early, was trained as a valve trombonist and as a teenager played in the San Juan Municipal Band. Tizol moved to the U.S. in 1920 and became valve...

Jump City Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Jump City Jazz Orchestra is comprised of eighteen of the Delaware Valley's finest musicians and vocalists. Since its founding in 1994 under the name "Audubon Jazz Explosion", the Jump City Jazz Orchestra has delighted...

Kay Kyser (composer/conductor/leader)

Big Band Leader, Entertainer announcer. Kay Kyser was very successful during his years as a number one band leader in the country and equally productive during his long period of retirement at age 41. He had eleven number-one hit...

Kay Starr (vocal)

Biography missing, add it now.

Keely Smith (vocal)

The “Queen of Las Vegas” swing, Keely Smith, is one of the last living legends of the great Rat Pack era of the 1950s and ‘60s. For nearly half a century, the Cherokee-Irish singer has thrilled audiences around the world,...

Kelly Fentons Bottomless Cup Jazz Orchestra (composer/conductor/leader)

A lover of stories and a slave to her overactive imagination, New York City based composer Kelly Fenton uses her music to do just that, tell a story. Deriving inspiration from comic books, myths, and real life stories, Kelly’s...

Ken Schaphorst (composer/conductor/leader)

Ken Schaphorst is a composer, performer, and educator currently chairing the Jazz Studies and Improvisation Department at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Before moving to Boston in 2001, Schaphorst served as Director of...

Kevin Seeley (trumpet)

I currently play lead trumpet and lead the Emerald City Jazz Orchestra in Seattle, as well as plying lead trumpet with several other Northwest based horn bands. I have been involved in the Seattle Music scene since 1990 playing full time...

Kit McClure Band (saxophone)

Kit McClure, Yale University 1975, is a bandleader and saxophonist in New York City. Her credits include tours in the USA, Japan, and Europe with R&B legends Sam and Dave, Broadway show "Dancin'," and featured soloist with the Barry White...

Knoxville Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra is a 17 piece group based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The band was formed in 1999 by trumpeter/arranger Vance Thompson to perform and promote music for big band. All members of the band are professional musicians,...

Kris Berg (bass)

One of the top-selling jazz composer / arrangers in the world, Kris Berg has been enhancing the programs and recordings of jazz ensembles from professionals to middle schools. While his charts are very popular in the United States,...

Lalo Schifrin (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Lalo Schifrin is a true Renaissance man. As a pianist, composer and conductor, he is equally at home conducting a symphony orchestra, performing at an international jazz festival, scoring a film or television show, or creating works for...

Larry Bunker (percussion)

Jazz drummer Larry Bunker, was an in demand jazz percussionist. He played with many of the jazz greats of the past century.American jazz drummer, vibraphonist, and percussionist, he also played timpani with the Los Angeles Philharmonic...

Larry Sonn (trumpet)

Larry Sonn, at 91, is alive and well in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. He was born in Woodmere on Long Island near New York City on January 17, 1919. Trumpet player, arranger, composer, and internationally known band leader, Larry was...

Lars Halle (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Lars Halle was born in Trondheim, Norway in 1973 but spent his childhood in the town of Sandviken, Sweden where he began his musical education under the guidance of percussion instructor Rolf Andersson and pianist Gosta Rundquist. In 1989,...

Len Phillips Big Band (composer/conductor/leader)

The Len Phillips Big Band is made up of sixteen of the country’s finest musicians plus two of its most accomplished singers: Eleanor Keenan (Syd Lawrence, Andy Ross, Joe Loss) and Anton Browne (Gillespiana). Saxes are led by Roy Willox...

Leon Prima (trumpet)

Leon the older brother of Louis Prima was also a trumpeter & band leader. He played early in his life with Leon Roppolo, Ray Bauduc, Jack Teagarden, and Peck Kelley (1925-27). He co-led the Melody Masters with Sharkey Bonano in the late...

Les Brown (composer/conductor/leader)

Les Brown and the Band of Renown brought Doris Day into prominence with their recording of "Sentimental Journey" in 1945. The release of "Sentimental Journey" coincided with the end of WWII in Europe and was the homecoming theme for many...

Lon Dorsey (vocal)

Lon "Rosco" Dorsey has been singing Lou Rawls songs since the 1970's, and his wife Nina, and a friend of wife Lana, and nephew Mike who communicates with him often, who is also creating a movie on the life of Lou. Rosco is performing his...

Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Neophonic movement,launched in the mid-sixties,was another grand Stan Kenton adventure. This one had the ultimate goal of establishing comtemporary resident jazz orchestra in major cities across the United States and even around the...

Louie Bellson (drums)

One of the world’s greatest drummers, Louie Bellson has been an exciting crowd pleaser for over 60 years. A well-respected educator and one of the nicest people in the music business, the still-active Louie Bellson is a class act. Born...

Louis Jordan (sax, alto)

At the height of his career, in the 1940s, bandleader and alto saxophonist Louis Jordan scored 18 Number One hit records. Jordan exhibited a brilliant sense of showmanship that brought audiences first-rate entertainment without any loss of...

Louis Prima (composer/conductor/leader)

Best remembered for his risque Vegas act of the 1950s, Louis Prima was the ultimate showman. Loud, boisterous, and completely out front, his mix of rhythm and blues, big band music, Italian novelty tunes, and Dixieland made him one of the...

Lucky Millinder (composer/conductor/leader)

He played no instruments, sang no songs, never became a noted composer, but in his own way, a musician of undeniable talent. He put bands together, got the vocalists, the right songs, and presented the entire package. Lucky Millinder was a...

Lucy Ward (vocal)

Lucy hails from the small pie-eating, rugby-playing town of Wigan, firmly planted in the north-west of England. She was raised on the music of Frank Sinatra and Doris Day and skipped to school singing 'I Got Rhythm' rather than stomping...

Luis Russell (composer/conductor/leader)

Luis Russell - piano, bandleader (1902 - 1963) In his native homeland of Panama, Luis was a multi-instrumentalist. He immigrated to New Orleans, LA, in 1919, where, as a pianist, he often found work in the local saloons and...

Luke Elderkin (trumpet)

Biography missing, add it now.

Mace Francis Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Mace Francis Orchestra (MFO) was formed late in 2004 by band-leader and composer Mace Francis to experiment with composition, in the style of the great modern big bands lead by Bob Brookmeyer, Thad Jones, Bill Holman and Maria...

Magic City Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

THE MAGIC CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA (Pictured above at a recording session for the CD, "Lou's Blues," Lou Marini, Jr. conducting. Founding Director Ray Reach, seated at keyboard, on right. Photo by Eugene Bates.)

Ray Reach, Founding...

Mahlon Clark (clarinet)

Mahlon Clark clarinetist performed on the soundtracks of numerous Hollywood movies and recorded with artists as varied as Lawrence Welk and Madonna. Clark played the well-known clarinet solo of Henry Mancini's "Baby Elephant Walk,"...

Manee Valentine (vocal)

Biography missing, add it now.

Manhattan Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Manhattan Jazz Orchestra was formed in 1979 by famed Tokyo based record producer Shigeyuki Kawashima and New York arranger extraordinaire Dave Matthews as an expansion of the award winning Manhattan Jazz Quintet (MJQ). In 2002 and...

Maria Barlett (vocal)

Maria Barlett is a Jazz singer who follows in the tradition of the greatest American vocalists of the past century. She is a graduate of the prestigious Frost Conservatory of Music at the University of Miami, Coral Gables Florida, a...

Maria Schneider (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Maria Schneider, born in Windom, Minnesota, arrived in New York City in 1985 after studies at the University of Minnesota, the University of Miami and the Eastman School of Music. She immediately sought out Bob Brookmeyer to study...

Mark Lewis (trumpet)

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Marshall McDonald (saxophone)

Marshall McDonald is an accomplished musician and a seasoned performer. He started clarinet studies with Principal Clarinetist Thomas Thompson of The Pittsburgh Symphony at Carnegie-Mellon University, with William Balawadjer of...

Mart Avant's Night Flight Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

MART AVANT'S NIGHT FLIGHT BIG BAND (shown above in session at CBS Recording for the CD, "Superblue," featuring Eric Essix). "Superblue" CD is available at CDBaby.com This powerhouse ensemble has appeared at Ona's Music Room...

Martha Raye (vocal)

Born Margaret Teresa Yvonne Reed in Butte, Montana, in 1916, Martha began as a singer and comedy performer early in her life. She was born backstage at a local vaudeville theatre in Butte, Montana where her Irish immigrant parents, Peter...

Marty Paich (composer/conductor/leader)

One of the best-known arrangers of the post-World War II era, Marty Paich had much stronger jazz credentials than many of his peers, thanks to his active presence on the West Coast scene during the '50s. Paich was born in Oakland, CA, on...

Mary Kennedy (trombone)

I play in a big band called Flipside and also in a concert band through Lampeter Stasburg (Lampeter Strasburg Community Band) both directed by Howard Boots.

Matso Limtiaco (arranger)

Matso Limtiaco (b. 1963) majored in Music Education as an undergraduate. After a brief period teaching public school music, he earned his MA in music theory/composition at Washington State University in 1990. He spent six years teaching...

Matthew Herbert Big Band (arranger)

Matthew Herbert began experimenting with aleatoric processes while studying drama at Exeter University in the early 1990s. He gave his first public performance in 1995 as Wishmountain, reportedly using a bag of crisps as an instrument. Two...

Max Greger (composer/conductor/leader)

Max Greger is a popular German orchestra leader and saxophonist. He began as an accordionist then went on to the Munich Conservatory where he studied clarinet and saxophone. After a stint in the military he started to play in jazz...

May Peters (trombone)

Versatile trombone master May Peters was born in 1964 in Echt- Netherlands, and started to play the flute at the age of five. While still very young she started to study horn and became a member of the local brass band. At age fifteen she...

Maynard Ferguson (trumpet)

Walter "Maynard" Ferguson (May 4, 1928 - August 23, 2006) was a Canadian-born jazz trumpet player and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957. He was noted for being able...

McKinney's Cotton Pickers (band/ensemble/orchestra)

William McKinney, showman-drummer, formed his Cotton Pickers in Springfield, Ohio in 1922, but it was not until the summer of 1928 that they commenced their short but illustrious recording career for Victor. In the autumn of 1931 Don...

Mel Lewis (drums)

Lewis, best known for his small group approach to big band drumming, was one of the first drummers to vary the ride cymbal beat, giving the music a loose and swinging feel. His commanding presence never dominated the spotlight and always...

Melanie Massell (vocal)

Atlanta native Melanie Massell has been charming audiences since childhood with her powerful voice and charisma. After majoring in theater and performing arts (Atlanta’s Northside High School of Performing Arts and Florida State...

Mercer Ellington (trumpet)

Mercer Ellington was born in Washington, D.C., the only child of Duke and Edna Ellington. He received formal music training and eventually led his own band as a trumpet player. Joining his father in Los Angeles in 1940 he began a period of...

Michael "Gooch" Gurciullo (trumpet)

Mike Gurciullo has been associated with big bands ever since he was a kid in Omaha, NE. All through jr. high and high school he played in the usual school programs, but also worked outside of those settings in professional big bands...

Michael Abene (piano)

When New York was being set ablaze by a hungry group of upstart musicians with names like Brecker, Gadd, Tee and Lee, there was an unassuming yet voracious musician named Michael Abene among them writing voluminous stacks of top shelf...

Michael Advincula (sax, baritone)

Mike

Michael Berkowitz/Gene Krupa Orchestra (drums)

The New Gene Krupa Orchestra. Conducted by Michael Berkowitz, this band, officially licensed by the Krupa Estate, knocks out the tunes that Krupa made famous. Leave Us Leap, Let Me Off Uptown, Lover, Boogie Blues, Drummin Man, Rockin...

Michael Gibbs (trombone)

Mike Gibbs - composer, arranger and trombonist has worked with many music luminaries, including Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, John Scofield, Narada Michael Walden, Michael Mantler, Gary Burton, Whitney Houston, Peter Gabriel, Bill...

Michael Jordan (trombone)

Biography missing, add it now.

Michael McKeon (reeds)

Introducing the LET'S DANCE Big Band. The Bands History The Big Band was originally formed in 1981 and played a number of "gigs", weddings, balls, dinner dances and concerts. After a few years we decided to form an Octet from the band as...

Michael Smith (composer/conductor/leader)

July 19, 2011 The Jazz Project Big Band is one of San Diego's brightest jazz aggregations, composed of the area's finest amateur and professional musicians. The band holds public rehearsals Monday evenings, 7:30 to 9:30 PM at the San Diego...

Mike Norris (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The band is comprised of seventeen professional musicians whose cumulative experience totals over five hundred years. Our members have worked with an exhaustive list of luminaries in entertainment including Frank, the Chairman of the...

Mike Vax (trumpet)

The Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra & The Mike Vax Big Band Is there anyone crazy enough to lead one big band, let alone two? The answer is yes, he’s Mike Vax! Mike is the Director of The Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra (MVJO), and The Mike Vax Big...

Milan Svoboda (piano)

MILAN SVOBODA Composer, conductor, band leader, jazz pianist Biography Milan Svoboda is one of the leading personalities on the Czech musical scene. He gained international renown as a jazz pianist and band leader. His composing and...

Miles Osland (saxophone)

Miles Osland has distinguished himself as an educator, recording and performing artist, author, arranger and composer. Currently the Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Saxophone at the University of Kentucky, he has appeared...

Millenium jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Millennium Jazz Orchestra is a pure jazz orchestra with professional Dutch musicians. Since 1990 the band plays every first Wednesday of the month in theatre De Bouwkunde in Deventer, Holland, and every month with a nationally or...

Milt Holland (percussion)

Considered to be one of the world's greatest drummers and percussionists, Milton Holland raised in Chicago where he began his professional music career in 1929 playing primarily Jazz drums as well as all percussion. Milt was also a staff...

Milt Larkin (composer/conductor/leader)

Milt Larkin - trumpet, vocal, bandleader (1910 - 1996) Milton Larkin was born in Navasota, Texas, on October 10, 1910, and was the leader of one of the greatest of all territory bands that, tragically, never recorded. After hearing...

Mirage Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

 Sizzling, seductive Jazz renditions performed by the Mirage Jazz Band will melt the ice, incite dancing and create an up-tempo feel to your event!
The Mirage jazz band is perfect for welcome receptions, dinners, conventions, award...

Missourians (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Missourians - orchestra/ensemble This midwest band, greatly influenced by Benny Moten's orchestra, began life as Wilson Robinson's Syncopators in the early 1920s. In 1923, they were called 'Wilson Robinson's Bostonians', In 1925,...

Mitchell Bahr (composer/conductor/leader)

Mr. Mitchell Bahr has taught as a band director for 12 years. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Biola University in La Mirada, California and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Southern Oregon University in...

Mitchell Endick (sax, tenor)

Big Bands I have rehearsed or performed with with: Mike Longo/Bill Whited/Russ Kassoff/Peter Silver/ David Berger/Abe Silverman/IceExpress/Larry Gillespie/Tim Ouimette/Ron Apria/Lee Konitz Nonet/ Dave Matthews Nonet/Howard Williams/Wayne...

Montclair Women's Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

A decade is an eternity in the life of a jazz orchestra, but it’s not mere longevity that makes the Montclair Women’s Big Band 10th anniversary such a notable occasion. The Bay Area ensemble has set an enviable standard by every...

Morty Corb (bass, acoustic)

Morty Corb, a jazz bassist who performed with Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey and Nat King Cole, among others. Born in San Antonio, Corb learned to play the ukulele at age 6 and later, without training, mastered the guitar...

Multiple Organism Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing? We disagree... What about that funk, or that rock, or that strut, or that quirk, or that crunch, or just that bloody-well-coolness? This is the big band that's sacking the old school and...

Nashville Jazz Orchestra

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NASHVILLE JAZZ ORCHESTRA (Pictured above, in concert at B.B. King's in Nashville, with guest vocalist, Annie...

Nat Pierce (piano)

Nat Pierce had a long, distinguished, somewhat low-profile career as a champion of latter-day big-band swing, serving as the co-leader of Los Angeles' crack Frank Capp-Nat Pierce Juggernaut and an arranger for several well-known big bands...

Nathaniel Ryan Reineke (trumpet)

I am pretty new to jazz but play big band.

Ned Fasullo (vocal)

No one singer has embodied the feeling, persona, energy, and stage presence of the great crooners like vocalist Ned Fasullo. His interpretation and delivery of classic American standards are second to none and constantly keep audiences...

Nelson Riddle (arranger)

Nelson Riddle - arranger (1921 - 1985) Nelson Riddle was one of the greatest arrangers in the history of American popular music. He worked with many of the major pop vocalists of his day, but it was his immortal work with Frank...

New England Jazz Ensemble (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The New England Jazz Ensemble is a performance group, as well as a composers forum, comprising regionally-based artists in both big-band and small-group configurations. It features original and contemporary arrangements and compositions,...

New South Jazz Orchestra

The NSJO, although a short history as an assembled group, has a long history of performing together. The core horn group of the NSJO is "The Tuscaloosa Horns" (tuscaloosahorns.com) who have been one of Motown's top call horn lines since...

New World Jazz Composers Octet (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Biography missing, add it now.

Nick Pitt (drums)

Biography missing, add it now.

Noble Sissle (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Noble Sissle was one of African-American music's unsung tradition-builders. As half of the duo that composed “Shuffle Along,” he helped to bring creativity to a new level on the Broadway stage. As a bandleader, Sissle nurtured...

Noel Grima

Full-time accounting student, 1st-year university. 13 years playing. // Masterclasses under: Bob Lanese (trumpet, USA/Germany), Jorg Muller (trumpet, Austria), Mike del Ferro (piano, Belgium), Dieter von Sachs (piano, Germany). // Studied...

NSU Jazz Ensemble

The NSU Jazz Ensemble is the flagship ensemble of the NSU Jazz Studies Program at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK. The band has recently performed with Geoffrey Keezer, John Riley, Kevin Mahogany, Conrad Herwig, Kenny...

Nutty (band/ensemble/orchestra)

There was a time when The Rat Pack ruled, Vegas had a vibe, Martinis were a lunch staple and jazz clubs were the place to be. Imagine that today...and you get NUTTY. Nutty? Sure. Fun? Oh yeah. But what about the music? Don't let...

Octavia (multi-instrumentalist)

Oktawia Kawecka, born in Radom, Poland, is a vocalist, flute player, arranger, and also the leader of her own band. She performs her own arrangements- different shades of jazz, worldwide standards of classical music which she arranges...

Octobop (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Cool jazz. Images of the early days on the West Coast when new ideas, harmonies, ensemble playing and great improvisation were all happening. Recreating and updating that experience is the mission of Octobop. Performing and promoting the...

Oliver Nelson (arranger)

Oliver Nelson needs to be reconsidered by music listeners for what he was - one of the most significant jazz voices of his generation, and an important big band composer and arranger of the 1960s. Perhaps the skill he mastered...

Paige Wroble (vocal)

Currently, Paige Wroble is the featured vocalist with the "Airmen of Note," the premier jazz band of the United States Air Force. Paige is equally at home singing with a large group as she is in solo or combo performances. She has shared...

Panama Francis (drums)

Panama Francis - drums David "Panama" Francis, legendary drummer noted for a career remarkable for its longevity--dating from Harlem jazz spots of the 1930s to Hollywood movie sets of the 1990s--but for its sheer scope as well. Who else...

Pat La Barbera (saxophone)

Pat (Pascel Emmanuel) LaBarbera. Saxophonist, teacher, composer, b Mt Morris, NY, 7 Apr 1944. His first teacher was his father, Joseph, a clarinetist. His brothers are also noted jazz musicians: Joe, a drummer, and John, an arranger...

Paul Cacia (trumpet)

Trumpet Artist Paul Cacia is recognized throughout the world for his soaring trumpet mastery, brilliant sound, and effortless technique, that has allowed him to create exceptional music. He has been described as a living heritage. A...

Paul Gonsalves (sax, tenor)

Although his reputation is often hung upon the mighty gallery-rousing performance he gave at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival with Duke Ellington, tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves was at heart an introspective balladeer. His true legacy...

Paul Quinichette (sax, tenor)

Many men tried, but Paul Quinichette was the most successful at emulating the style of Lester Young. (Young called him "Lady Q", a term not exactly meant at as a compliment.) With a nice smoky tone, Quinichette worked with many great...

Paul Vesco (arranger)

A musician and entertainer for most of his life, Paul Vesco started accordion lessons at the age of 3. As a teenager taking up the popular instrument of the day, guitar, and eventually moving to organ, Paul gained local notoriety as a...

Paul Whiteman (composer/conductor/leader)

Paul Whiteman's Orchestra was the most popular band of the 1920s. They are also the most controversial to Jazz historians because Whiteman billed himself as "The King Of Jazz". The Paul Whiteman Orchestra rarely played what is considered...

Peanuts Hucko (clarinet)

Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko was born in 1918 in Syracuse, NY and moved to New York City in 1939. From 1939 to 1940, He played tenor saxophone with Will Bradley and Joe Marsala. After a brief time with Charlie Spivak, he joined the Glenn...

Pedro Giraudo (bass)

These two ensembles, lead by Pedro Giraudo, have captivated listeners around the world with its unique blend of South American grooves, Argentine folk songs, the passion of tango and jazz improvisation. Pedro Giraudo, in the tradition of...

Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra (composer/conductor/leader)

Born in Córdoba, Argentina in 1977, Pedro Giraudo moved to New York City in 1996. Since then, aside from being an in-demand bass player and prolific composer, he has collaborated as arranger on a variety of musical projects with Pablo...

Percy Faith (composer/conductor/leader)

One of the founding fathers of easy listening, but not always the purveyor of pablum he's made out to be. Faith was a child prodigy on the piano, but his hopes for a career as a concert pianist ended when he injured his hands in a fire...

Pete McGuinness (trombone)

Pete McGuinness has been an active New York City jazz trombonist, composer-arranger (2008 GRAMMY nominee for his big band/vocal arrangement of "Smile"), vocalist, bandleader and jazz educator since 1987. As a young man growing up in...

Pete Rugolo (composer/conductor/leader)

Pete Rugolo is a jazz composer and arranger. He was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily. His family emigrated to the United States in 1920 and settled in Santa Rosa, California. He started his musical career playing the baritone, like his...

Peter Giger (drums)

1939 born in Zurich, grows up in or near Berne 1958 professional musician, tours in Europe with the TREMBLE KIDS, Oskar Klein, Albert Nicholas, Bill Coleman, Joe Turner, Wild Bill Davison, Peanuts Holland 1960 after short guest...

Peter Herbolzheimer (trombone)

Herbolzheimer migrated from communist Romania to West Germany in 1951. In 1953 he moved to the United States of America, where he worked as guitarist. He returned to Germany in 1957, took up the trombone and for one year studied...

Peter Rens (trombone)

Biography missing, add it now.

Phil Harris (composer/conductor/leader)

Phil Harris (born Wonga Philip Harris) was an American singer, songwriter, jazz musician, actor and comedian. Though successful as an orchestra leader, Harris is remembered today for his recordings as a vocalist, his voice work in...

Phil Kelly (composer/conductor/leader)

In addition to more than 40 years as a composer / arranger for film, TV, and other media applications, he has written for bands like Bill Watrous' NY Wildlife Refuge, the Old Tonight show band , Doc Severinsen, Si Zentner, as well as...

Phillip Erskine (trombone)

Amateur Jazz Trombonist in Dayton, OH.

Portland Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Since 2005, the 17 members of Portland Jazz Orchestra have come together year-round to present top-caliber orchestral jazz in the unique setting of the concert hall. Portland's first ensemble of this kind, PJO offers diverse, high-quality...

Ralph Burns (composer/conductor/leader)

Of the dozens of fine composers and arrangers to come out of New England, none was ever more accomplished or more prolific than Ralph Burns, who left indelible marks on music in America from coast to coast and not only in the jazz...

Ralph Escudero (various)

Ralph Escudero is largely forgotten now, but deserves to be better remembered. It was his meticulous sense of time that kept the intricate arrangements of such swinging big bands as McKinney's Cotton Pickers and the Fletcher Henderson band...

Ray Anthony (trumpet)

Ray Anthony has been one of Big Band music's most dedicated ambassadors. For sixty years he has helped keep alive the sounds of America's golden age of jazz and pop music. Born in 1922, Anthony began his musical career at age five, playing...

Ray Ellis (arranger)

In a career that began in the mid-1950s, Ray Ellis arranged the music for "Standing on the Corner" and "Moments to Remember" for the Four Lads; "Splish Splash" and "Dream Lover" for Bobby Darin; "Everybody Loves a Lover" for Doris Day;...

Ray Gelato (sax, tenor)

In addition to regular headline slots at ‘Ronnie’s’, Ray has also performed throughout the UK, Europe, USA, Canada and Brazil at prestigious venues, festivals and events such as The Blue Note (NYC), Edinburgh Festival, VE Day...

Ray McKinley (drums)

The drumming of Ray McKinley was a driving force that contributed greatly to the success of Jimmy Dorsey before WWII and the Glenn Miller American Band Of The Allied Expeditionary Forces during the war. As part of the Will Bradley...

Ray Nance (cornet)

Ray Nance was a multi-talented individual. He was a fine trumpeter who not only replaced Cootie Williams with Duke Ellington's Orchestra, but gave the "plunger" position in Duke's band his own personality. In addition, Nance was one of the...

Ray Noble (composer/conductor/leader)

The songs of the late English bandleader and composer, Ray Noble, are very much of the type for which many take a historical look backwards in saying, "They don't write songs like that -anymore." And without denigrating the...

Rebel Alliance Jazz Ensemble (multi-instrumentalist)

Dallas-based big band formed in June '08--currently plays regularly every Tuesday night at Pearl in downtown Dallas. 2038 Commerce Street.

Remember When (vocal)

Created in the style of many big band and vocal groups from the past, Remember When is a performing Vocal Group, singing Big Band Vocals, Jazz Standards and Movie Favorites in the greater Los Angeles area. The music is presented in a close...

Rene Laanen (trombone)

Biography missing, add it now.

Resonance Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Some may call it hubris to introduce Marian Petrescu with an album in which he is asked to step into the shoes of a uniquely accomplished and intimidating virtuoso. But that assumption evaporates in an instant, once the music of Resonance...

Rich Szabo (trumpet)

Rich Szabo was born in Newark, New Jersey, March 16, 1956. The fiery trumpet star began studying his instrument at the age of nine. As a teenager he dreamed of playing with his idol, Maynard Ferguson. Upon his completion of his musical...

Rich Wetzel (trumpet)

Rich is well known as a very powerful, very exciting, and high energy lead trumpet player, featured soloist, who is equally adept at gorgeous, soft, beautiful trumpet or flugelhorn lyrical concert settings, or soaring over the top of the...

Richard Steffens (bass, acoustic)

Biography missing, add it now.

Richard Watters (trumpet)

Hi! I’m a long time jazz fan and occasional Chicago-area musician (trumpet/flugelhorn). I began playing trumpet about 1962 as a grade-school student. By my Senior year at Downers Grove South Highschool I was a member of five different...

Rick Lawn (sax, baritone)

Richard (Rick) Lawn is the recently retired Dean of the College of Performing Arts at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia (uarts.edu) where he now holds a professorship in the...

Rick Steffens (bass, acoustic)

Musician and Band Leader Company: Mirage Music Company Website: http://mirageband.tv Event Realm: Tradeshows, Meetings/Conferences, Special Events, Event Production, Event Services Region: Pacific States Events You Worked: 2010 American...

Rico Barr (drums)

The professional musical career of the multi-faceted Rico Barr began at the age of fourteen with special permission from the Musicians Union due to his under age status. By the age of seventeen he was playing drums with the Ted Herbert...

Rob McConnell (trombone)

Robert Murray Gordon (Rob) McConnell is a Canadian jazz valve trombonist, composer, arranger, music educator and recording artist. Rob McConnell took up the valve trombone in high school, and began his performing career in the early...

Rob Viggiano (trumpet)

Currently playing in the Austin, TX area with The Brister Big Beat swing band.

Robert De Kers (trumpet)

The Baker Boys directed by Robert De Kers between 1931 and 1932. The Belgian trumpet player Robert De Kers met Oscar Aleman and Gaston Lobo at Harry Fleming group late 1920s while touring through Europe. Most of the members of the Baker...

Robert G. Smith (piano)

San Francisco Bay Area-born pianist, Robert G. "Bob" Smith, exemplifies the best of prominent musicians performing in the Washington D.C. area today. He is the most active union musical director in society, popular, and jazz venues in our...

Robert Lingnau (arranger)

Graduate music arranger and composer that works for a wide array of styles and ensemble sizes.

Rodger Fox (trombone)

Rodger Dennis FOX Profile: Self-directed, enthusiastic educator, with a passionate commitment to student development in learning and performance experience. Lead by example and motivate and encourage people to extend themselves...

Rodrigo Gallardo (trumpet)

Biography missing, add it now.

Ron Allen (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The History of HRO With the combined efforts of Ron Allen (Leader), Aston Beckford (Trumpeter) and Agonsa Frye (Trumpeter and Arranger), the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra (H.R.O.) was created over twenty years ago. Mr. Herbie Jones, a...

Ron Turso (drums)

Drummer Ron Turso was born July 29, 1948 in New York City, into a musical family. His talent emerged at age 6 when he started beating out time with an old pair of wire brushes on a large tin can. By age 9, he had his first set of Ludwig...

Rosemary Clooney (vocal)

The distinctively unpretentious, deep, rich, and smooth voice of Rosemary Clooney earned her recognition as one of America's premiere pop and jazz singers. According to Clooney's record company press biography, Life magazine, in a tribute...

Roy Gerson (band/ensemble/orchestra)

It's the explosion of a thundering swing band at the height of the neon-splashed 1940s. It's the elegant artistry of a sophisticated keyboard artist in the heyday of Swing Street. It's the ebullient good humor of a Dixieland band under the...

Russell Garcia (composer/conductor/leader)

Russell Garcia, the composer, conductor and arranger renowned for his stellar collaborations with Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Anita O'Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, Frances Faye, Mel Tormé, Frank Sinatra and...

Ryan Truesdell (composer/conductor/leader)

Ryan Truesdell is a composer of diverse musical tastes and influences with a healthy reverence for jazz tradition and an ever-broadening sonic palette. He received his Masters degree in Jazz Composition at the New England Conservatory of...

Sakura Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Two award-winning female Japanese jazz composers, Asuka Kakitani and Noriko Ueda, have joined forces to form Sakura Jazz Orchestra. Named for Japan’s most iconic flower, the cherry blossom, Sakura Jazz Orchestra celebrates the two...

Sal Nistico (saxophone)

Sal Nistico, born Salvatore Nistico 2 April 1938 in Syracuse (New York), died 3 March 1991 in Berne, Switzerland, was a jazz tenor saxophonist associated for many years in the mid-'60s with Woody Herman's Herd. He started playing alto...

Sam Neal (saxophone)

A saxophonist born on 14 November 1995 in Romford, Essex, Sam Neal was introduced to music from a very early age. At the age of 7, Sam started learning the guitar and clarinet; this then progressed onto the piano and then the saxophone...

Sam Woodyard (drums)

Sam Woodyard gained his recognition and popularity behind the drum throne of the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1955 to 1966. Woodyard born on Jan. 7, 1925, hailed from Newark, was self taught, and by the '40s, he was playing with...

Sammy Banks (drums)

Sammy Banks is a true Legendary Jazz Drummer who has been a driving force in the Central Pennsylvania Jazz scene for many years. He has also been inducted into the Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz Hall of Fame. He has played with almost...

Sammy Nestico (composer/conductor/leader)

At the age of 17, Sammy Nestico became the staff arranger for ABC radio station, WCAE, Pittsburgh, Pa. He received his B.S. degree in music education from Duquesne University, and has been honored three times by the school with an honorary...

Sarah Vaughan (vocal)

In the 1940s, when most women singers adorned big bands as stage attractions rather than legitimate members of jazz ensembles, Sarah Vaughan, along with her predecessor Ella Fitzgerald, helped elevate the vocalist's role as equal to that...

Saunders Jones, Jr (saxophone)

Orthopedic Surgeon by training, a Jazz player since the 4th grade, Dr Jones is now retired and playing around north Georgia. He teaches Graduate Pathophysiology in the Wellstar School of Nursing at Kennesaw State University.

Seattle Jazz Underground

The Jazz Underground is a Seattle-based group that plays contemporary big band jazz. Their repertoire includes music from the libraries of Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, and Duke Ellington, as well as music...

Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra (SWOJO) features many of the finest female jazz artists in the region. Showcasing high intensity jazz, tight harmonies, and lush dynamic sounds, the band performs with a fresh energy stemming from seven...

Sentimental Journey Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Through the years, the SJO has played for audiences of all sizes; from a small wedding reception of 75 persons, to a major corporate event with an audience of 5,500. We've played country clubs, hotels, resorts, charity balls, anniversary...

Shintemirov (sax, alto)

Almaty State Concervatory on clarinet and saxophone 1993-1998; Radio and Television Orchestra since 1993. In 1996 began composing and arranging.

Shota Lee (arranger)

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Skip Lombardi (arranger)

Berklee, 1969 Mus. B. 2 years in the house band at the Desert Inn, Las Vegas, 12 years in the house orchestra at Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT. Original Broadway productions of Annie, Shenandoah, Going Up, Very Good Eddie, Five...

Sonny Burke (arranger)

Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, composer and arranger Joseph Francis “Sonny” Burke studied piano and violin as a child. He later switched to the vibes, which would become his signature instrument. He began playing in dance bands at an...

Sonny Greer (drums)

Despite the fact that he was an important member of one of the most famous bands in the history of jazz, and during its finest period, drummer Sonny Greer has not been especially well served by jazz historians. He was born William...

Soulstice Cafe (programming)

Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood presents a new concert series, "Soulstice Cafe." We feature nationally-recognized jazz ensembles, folk musicians, and singer-songwriters in a smoke-free, listening-room atmosphere. Fair trade beverages and gourmet...

Spike Jones (composer/conductor/leader)

Popular musician and bandleader specializing in performing satirical arrangements of popular songs. Ballads and classical works receiving the Jones treatment would be punctuated with gunshots, whistles, cowbells, and ridiculous vocals....

Sr Tony E. Moore (bass, acoustic)

Biography missing, add it now.

Stageband (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Stageband is a bigband from Groningen, The Netherlands, existing some twenty years. Nineteen enthousiastic young musicians, conducted by Jeroen Rol, play bigband repertoire from past and present, putting first quality and pleasure in...

Stan Kenton (piano)

Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 - August 25, 1979) led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator. Stan Kenton was born in Wichita,...

Stephanie Pike (bass)

I'm currently a solo Double Bassist/Alto Vocalist working with many ensambles but haven't found the one that sticks just yet. I've been playing and singing for 6 years. Grade 8 Royal Conservatory Piano and just really doing it out of the...

Stephen Guerra Jr. (composer/conductor/leader)

Saxophonist, Composer, and Arranger Stephen Guerra currently resides in Miami, FL where he continues coursework for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Composition under Gary Lindsay at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. In...

Stephen Williams (sax, alto)

Steve Williams, a native of Pensacola, Fla. joined Navy Band Commodores in March 1994. The unit’s lead saxophonist since 1997, he was the music director from 2003 until 2009. He has composed/arranged over 40 compositions for the group...

Steve Parry (drums)

Steve Parry’s first official release, this two track single recorded in 2006 features a full big band line up, with one exception….. Steve plays all the instruments! Drums, Piano, Bass, Trombones, Trumpets and Saxes! If that wasn’t...

Steve Pemberton (drums)

Jazz drummer/percussionist Steve Pemberton has gained an international reputation as an incredibly versatile and sensitive musician. Looking at his background, it becomes obvious that he is constantly reinventing himself, refusing to be...

Steve Taylor Big Band (drums)

www.stevetaylorbigband.com Steve studied drumming from age 6 discovering drummers Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson (whom steve met at Ronnie Scott’s Club as a boy) immersing himself in every Jazz, fusion & big band record he could find....

Steve Wiest Big Band (trombone)

Jazz trombonist Steve Wiest is in great demand as a featured artist, composer/arranger and clinician. Throughout the U.S., he is enjoying success and critical acclaim as he pursues an ambitious performing schedule while continuing to...

Steve Williams & Jazz Nation (composer/conductor/leader)

Composer, arranger and saxophonist Steve Williams is the founder and leader of the Jazz Nation Big Band. He formed the group in 2010 as a vehicle for his original compositions and arrangements. Jazz Nation includes 17 of the most unique...

SuperJazz Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The SuperJazz Big Band (formerly UAB SuperJazz) was the first performing ensemble connected with the Music Department of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The group now presents concerts four times a year at Samford...

Suzy Williams (vocal)

At eighteen years old, Suzy met "Stormin’ Norman” Zamcheck, a Yale graduate in literature and “damn good boogie woogie piano player”. Partnering with Stormin' Norman, she cut two albums with him (Fantasy Rag, 1975 and Ocean of...

Swingadelic (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Swingadelic began in 1998 as the neo-swing movement was cresting. Bassist Dave Post gathered his jazz & blues playing pals together to play engagements at New York City's Supper Club, Swing 46 and Windows On The World. As the swing...

Sy Oliver (arranger)

Melvin James (Sy) Oliver,was one of America's great jazz composers and arrangers of the big band era, and a musician who had a significant impact on American popular music. Sy Oliver was born in Battle Creek, Mich., on Dec. 10, 1910. His...

T. Nathan Mickle (vocal)

T. Nathan Mickle grew up in a plane and in a car. As of right now, he is based in Oklahoma City. He is the pianist and a vocalist for the Oklahoma City University Jazz Band. Right now, he is currently booking shows in the greater...

Teddy Weatherford (piano)

Teddy Weatherford, a highly rated and legendary pianist, has been an obscure and mysterious figure whose few records are prized by collectors. His resume and career traverse international boundaries in his quest to present American...

Terry Douds (bass)

TERRY DOUDS ­ bassist - is the Broadcast Operations Supervisor for the WOUB Center for Public Media at Ohio University. He is in demand as an instructor, performer, clinician, and recording engineer-producer. A graduate of the Ohio State...

Terry S. Ownby (trumpet)

Director of Bands Muscle Shoals Middle School, recipient of the National Band Associations Citation of Excellence, founding member of the Shoals Area Dixieland Band, Lead trumpet player and soloist with the "Big Band", Has performed...

Terry Vosbein (composer/conductor/leader)

TERRY VOSBEIN was born into a musical family in the musical city of New Orleans. He spent his first decades immersed in the world of jazz composition and performance, playing and writing and learning. Somewhere along the way he got a few...

Tex Beneke (saxophone)

Although he subsequently found himself in dispute with the bandleader’s estate, Tex Beneke played a major role in establishing the trademark Glenn Miller sound as one of the most successful inventions of the big band era. His tenor...

Thad Jones (trumpet)

Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 - August 21, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. He was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten (an older brother was pianist Hank Jones and a younger brother...

The Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Boston-based composer Ayn Inserto founded her large ensemble, which features both Boston and New York-based musicians, in 2001 after receiving her Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies and Composition from New England Conservatory. The group...

The Brit Pack

The ultimate in sophisticated entertainment, these three cool guys bring swing music into the 21st century. Guaranteed to get everyone on the dance floor, they work to high quality playback or with their own 8 piece band. With a wide...

The Chicago Jazz Ensemble with Artistic Director Jon Faddis

“…the CJE kicks open the door(s) to the future.” �"Timeout Chicago Critic’s Pick, October 2006 The Chicago Jazz Ensemble led by Artistic Director, Jon Faddis is recognized internationally as one of American’s leading jazz...

The Colin Byrne Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Jazz Orchestra composer, Colin Byrne was born in Cork City, Ireland in 1974 where he spent many years playing and touring with various bands. In 1995 he moved to Leeds, England and in 1999 he completed a BA degree in Jazz Studies at Leeds...

The Dr Teeth Big Band (saxophone)

THE DR TEETH BIG BAND! brings you an intoxicating mix of NON STOP JUMP JIVE RHYTHM & BLUES BOOGIE WOOGIE SWING AND SKA we call NEW BREED SWING The band was formed over seven years ago to reinvent the great sound of jazz/blues and...

The Jazz Conceptions Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Jazz Conceptions Orchestra, composed of nine young aspiring jazz performers and arrangers, was founded in 2007 by four friends studying jazz at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. With a vision to pay homage to some of the...

The Jazzschool Adult Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Led by renowned saxophonist {{m: Dave Le Febvre = 31758}} (Associate Director UC Jazz Ensembles 1984-89; performed with Joe Williams and Don Ellis), The Jazzschool Adult Big Band is a stellar 18 piece ensemble with many composers,...

The Michele Richardson Band (vocal)

I'm from an artistic family .. on both sides. I'm related to Paul Gonsalves, Rodney Richardson, James "Beans" Richardson, George Williams, and Leontyne Price. I'm also related to two of the best kids ever! My primary genre is big band...

The O-Tones (vocal)

The O-Tones is a hot Swing, R&B, and Motown band from Western Massachusetts. With three singers as the core of the band, The O-Tones will melt your hearts with their powerful three-part harmonies. Whether they're singing their rendition of...

The Real Deal Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

This live recording was made at Kaleidoscope Sound on June 28 & 29, 2011. I started writing the music in 2003 when I was asked to put together an 18 piece band for a steady weekend gig at a New Jersey supper club. The idea was to...

The South Shore Syncopators (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The ten-piece South Shore Syncopators Dance Orchestra and their roster of fine vocalists bring the era of radio back to life, featuring the music of Paul Whiteman, Ted Weems, Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and others. Enjoy the you-are-there...

The Swing Cats Big Band (composer/conductor/leader)

The Swing Cats Big Band is composed of top musicians dedicated to the performance and preservation of big band music. Reminisce back to the swingin’ sounds of Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Harry...

The Swing Solution (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Swing Solution was first formed in February 1990 under the name The Cupertino Swing Band. Its founder and first leader was Eldred Clark, who had previously started The Serenaders in the late 1960s. The idea was to provide a place for a...

The Urban Renewal Project (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Not your granddaddy's big band! The Urban Renewal Project is a modern, 12-piece big band out of Los Angeles. Led by saxophonist & composer R.W. Enoch, Jr., the Project blends the boundaries of traditional genres into a danceable, funky...

The Vintage 15 (band/ensemble/orchestra)

With vocals from husband and wife duo, Hans Stockenberger, and his wife, Miss Tulsa Oklahoma 2005 and professional opera singer, Rachael Stockenberger, the debut EP from jazz/big band outfit, The Vintage 15, proves to be a compelling...

The West Point Band's Jazz Knights (band/ensemble/orchestra)

For almost four decades the United States Military Academy Band’s Jazz Knights have brought musical excellence to their audiences by presenting the best in big band favorites, popular music, and original compositions and arrangements...

Thelma Carpenter (vocal)

Thelma Carpenter - vocalist Thelma Carpenter was singing on the “Kiddies Hour” radio show at age five and by 11 had her own show on WNYC. She was 16 when she got hired as vocalist for the new Teddy Wilson Orchestra. The band lasted...

Thomas Klopfer (piano)

Der Pianist spielt seit Anfang der 90er Jahre in verschiedenen Formationen vor allem in Würzburg und Umgebung (Solo, Duo, Trio, Quintett, BigBand). Seit 2005 gehört er dem Würzburg Jazz Orchestra (WJO) an, das durch seine Programme mit...

Thomas Matta (trombone)

Thomas Matta boasts a body of work as a musician that spans an impressive spectrum of genres, styles, and disciplines. An active performer, Thomas has performed extensively across North America, Europe, and New Zealand, and is one of the...

Thomas McLaughlin (saxophone)

Biography missing, add it now.

Tiger Okoshi (trumpet)

Berklee Associate Professor Toru "Tiger" Okoshi has observed dualities in his life over the years. With a grin, he tells me about how he was recently booked for two performances on the same night at the same hour in two different places....

Tim Davies (composer/conductor/leader)

Ever since he was given a cassette of Australia’s Daly Wilson Big Band at age 12, Tim Davies had the dream to write for and play drums in his own big band. That dream was realized in 1998 when he formed his first big band in Melbourne,...

Tim Gill (trumpet)

Tim Gill is 25 year old award-winning, Los Angeles based trumpeter, vocalist, and composer. His unique style of writing and playing have been featured with such artists as Wayne Bergeron, Nicholas Payton, Branford Marsalis, Bobby Shew,...

Tim Patrick (vocal)

I was a guy who was too afraid to sing in the shower for fear that my family would hear me and tell me to shut up. But, in August 2004, I found myself in front of a microphone for the first time in my life at Nye's Piano Bar in...

Tim Weir (trumpet)

Dr. Tim Weir joined the faculty of the Virginia Tech music department in the fall of 2006 and holds a D.M.A from the University of Miami where he was split-lead trumpet with the award-winning University of Miami Concert Jazz Band. He has...

Timothy Lee Miller (composer/conductor/leader)

Timothy Lee Miller is a prolific American composer writing unique concert music for orchestra, chamber, choral and jazz ensembles. He has earned a BS in music education from the University of Tennessee, an MM in composition from...

Tolvan Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

From southern Sweden and the area around the coastal town of Malmö, Tolvan Big Band has been developing to become a powerhouse organisation with an international reputation of the most up-to-date and ambitious Big Bands anywhere in the...

Tom Ray (vocal)

Tom Ray is a crooner/light jazz singer who also hosts and DJs elegant wedding receptions. Tom Ray Entertainment delivers the perfect blend of live entertainment and party music for your event, all by a professional singer, host, and master...

Tom Smith (trombone)

Tom Smith is a five time Senior Fulbright Professor of Music at the Romanian National University of Music, Lecturer of Social and Political Affairs in the School of American Studies at the University of Bucharest, Tibiscus University in...

Tom Smith Big Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Tom Smith plays piano and sings standards with an emphasis on the music of Frank Sinatra. He has performed for 30 years, nationally and abroad, at resorts, club dates, concerts, fundraisers, on jingles, cruiseships and all major New York...

Tommy Dorsey (trombone)

Trombonist Thomas "Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz...

Tommy James (keyboard)

Tommy James, a leading pianist, composer, arranger and music director, majored in composition at the Manhattan School of Music. Over the years has worked with an eclectic group of artists in many musical genres. Among the outstanding...

Tommy Newsom (saxophone)

Tommy Newsom a jazz saxophonist and arranger who gained national visibility as a key member of Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" band for three decades, and whom Carson nicknamed "Mr. Excitement" for his stone-faced demeanor and somber...

Toni Ballard (vocal)

Boston-based vocalist Toni Ballard, who is profiled in "Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide" (Backbeat Press) by jazz writer Scott Yanow, has been singing with big bands and in jazz settings in New England since 1979. The Chicago native has...

Tonight Show Band (band/ensemble/orchestra)

The Tonight Show Band is the band which plays on the American television variety show, "The Tonight Show." From 1962 to the 1990s, during the years the show was known as "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", the band was a 17-piece...

Tony Faulkner (drums)

Tony Faulkner is a fine musician who has built an impressive body of work over the last 35 years. He is a stylish, and much recorded, Composer and Arranger, a great drummer and one of the UK’s foremost experts on the life and work of...

Tricky Sam Nanton (trombone)

A native of the West Indies, Nanton joined the Ellington orchestra in 1926, as a trombonist. He was a key player in the development of the bands overall sound and also remembered for his use of the plunger mute. Joe Nanton, was born, in...

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (band/ensemble/orchestra)

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (TJO) is one of the most important and creative jazz ensembles in Norway. During the course of the last ten years, the orchestra has had a great number of exciting projects with norwegian and international...