Take a walk down memory lane with The Big Band Reader!Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, The Dorsey Brothers, Duke Ellington, and Glenn Miller were musical masters of their eras, enchanting and romancing audiences with their timeless classics. Relive these wonderful songs and memories through The Big Band Reader: Songs Favored by Swing Era Orchestras and Other Popular Ensembles, a unique and exciting collection of over 140 songs from over 70 bands that are categorized by themes, preferred numbers, and top songs! Paying tribute to better known swing bands, sweet bands (ensembles favoring softer, more sentimental numbers), and some unheralded bands (good ensembles that did not receive much attention or did not have a well-known leader), this book offers music enthusiasts up to four biographical essays relating to specific groups and their popular hits, giving you historical and informative facts about the songs and the people who performed them. Nostalgic and entertaining, The Big Band Reader is a one-of-a-kind book that provides you with specific details and research about your most cherished songs and their composers, such as:
- The Artie Shaw Orchestra, well-known for their classic hit “Begin the Beguine,” by composer and lyricist Cole Porter
- The Benny Goodman Orchestra and their crowd favorite “And the Angels Sing,” written and composed by Johnny Mercer
- The Billy Eckstine Orchestra's well-loved songs, including “Prisoner of Love,” written by Leo Robin and “A Cottage for Sale,” written by Larry Conley and composed by Willard Robison
- “Day in Day Out,” with words and music by Johnny Mercer and Rube Bloom, which was a favorite of three big bands orchestras, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, and Bob Crosby
- Cab Calloway of the Cab Calloway Orchestra, along with Jack Palmer, and their hit “Jumpin’Jive” Thorough and fascinating, The Big Band Reader includes an appendix of the big bands arranged by themes to help you find a desired song or group. This remarkable reference will enable you to walk down memory lane and reminisce about the unforgettable songs of swing and its composers.
