Jazz band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A jazz band (or jazz ensemble) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section. During the jazz and swing eras in the mid-twentieth century, the most successful jazz orchestras also employed strings and harp in expanded arrangements, but their presence on the bandstand was more for visual impact and not as a key component of the ensemble.
The rhythm section of a jazz band consists of the percussion, bass guitar or double bass, and usually at least one instrument capable of playing chords, such as a piano or guitar. Large early jazz bands such as Paul Whiteman’s employed two pianos and banjo. The rhythm section is the foundation for the band; it sets the feel for the piece.
The horn section consists of wind and brass instruments, which play the melody and main accompaniment. Typical horns found in a big jazz band include 4 to 5 trumpets, saxophones (2-3 altos, 2 tenors, and a baritone), 3-4 trombones, and a bass trombone. The saxophones may also double on flute, clarinet, and soprano saxophone, the trumpets on flugelhorn, and the bass trombone on tuba.
[edit] See also
Acid jazz - Asian American jazz - Avant-garde jazz - Bebop - Dixieland - Calypso jazz - Chamber jazz - Cool jazz - Free jazz - Gypsy jazz - Hard bop - Jazz blues - Jazz-funk - Jazz fusion - Jazz rap - Latin jazz - Mini-jazz - Modal jazz - M-Base - Nu jazz - Smooth jazz - Soul jazz - Swing - Trad jazz - West coast jazz
Other topics
Musicians - Jazz standard - Jazz royalty - Jazz band - Big band - Origin of the word jazz
In the late 1940s, the Sandie Swingsters were organized to play for dances and pep rallies. Clyde Rowe was the AHS Band Director at that time and was instrumental in helping the group develop into a small group that played at many dances throughout the Panhandle, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
