Best classical big band music according to redditors
We found 42 Reddit comments discussing the best classical big band music. We ranked the 36 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
11. The Essential Duke Ellington
1 mention
The Essential Duke Ellington by Duke Ellington (2005-06-28)
did a reverse google image search with your picture and it is Duke Ellington.
The same picture was used for this DVD:
https://www.amazon.com/Duke-Ellington-Classic-Hollywood-Years/dp/B0002N979K
They have helped me in the past, one CD I got for Christmas decades ago called the Science of Sleep literally gave me full out of body lucid dream states.... but what really works for me (forgive me if this is a little lewd) is if I fall asleep while masturbating (take note that I am female so this probably isn't as effective for males since they can't just wear themselves out then leave the vibrator to fall out on its own, but I swear by it, seriously works every time.)
"Early Ellington" and "The Blanton-Webster Band" are well-regarded for the 1926-31 and 40-42 years, I think there were a bunch of individual LPs released for the 30s but don't know if they were compiled onto CD. Actually, check this out: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Duke-Ellington-1932-1939/dp/B0018BF1GI
More details would help, but Duke Ellington would be a good start. There are some inexpensive box sets - maybe that would be a good way to go...
The dopest early collection of Ellington, Mrs. Clinkscales to the Cotton Club, is currently out of print and is stupid expensive on Amazon. However, PM me and I'll share the mp3s with you in googledrive. I also have a mix of my 12 favorite songs if you just want to hear the cream of the crop.
That collection is I think all of his recordings from 1924-1929, featuring all his work with the great Bubber Miley, his first great soloist. Also, it is remastered by the legendary John RT Davies, so you know you're getting the best sound quality.
After that, covering 1929-1940, is a collection called [Vol. 2: The Cotton Club to Sweden] (https://www.amazon.com/Dukes-Middle-Years-1926-1929/dp/B000TWI81C/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1). It's not complete, but it's a 4-CD compilation from the 30s.
Another collection that is highly revered is the Blanton-Webster Band ca. 1940-42. Many consider this his greatest band. For me personally, I prefer the 1920s Bubber Miley band.
Honestly the Ken Burns Jazz collection is probably a decent overview of his entire career.
Duke Ellington, “The OKeh Ellington” (Sony, 1991; tracks recorded 1927-31)
Duke Ellington, “Golden Greats” (Disky, 2002; tracks recorded 1927-48)
He went big bandy not long after the era you are referring to, but there is a collection of small group sessions from the late 30's.
There's also this collection to check out.
My personal favorite is the Blanton-Webster band which is generally considered the best of his bands and some of his most adventurous writing. Here's a nice write up on this collection. While he had a big band line-up and sometimes did music that fit that mold, I personally find all of Duke's music to be far more complex and interesting than anything else considered big band. There's so much to bite into in even his most poppy arrangements that it's all very satisfying.
A freak soloist in these bands to keep your eye out for is Ray Nance, who sang as well as played trumpet and violin very well. He was quite a character.
Duke Ellington at Fargo
Basically, a kid showed up an recorded a live concert and radio spot in 1940. Captures Ellington at the height of his popularity (if you can pack a room in Fargo, North Dakota, you know you're popular). Many great songs. My favorite is "Harlem Airshaft".
He did a very good job with a certain sort of relaxing jazz. Good stuff. And there's Brubeck and Goodman and Ellington and Basie and others. For some fine stuff that's more energizing than relaxing, check out Neal Hefti's arrangements for Count Basie in The Complete Atomic Basie or, even perhaps better, Count Basie and His Orchestra Play Neal Hefti. Indeed, these same arrangements are well done by The Frank Capp Juggernaut in In a Hefti Bag. Great stuff.
Duke Ellington - Ellington Indigos is basically a full album made explicitly with the kind of music you describe. Enjoy :)
Edward Scissorhands, Chocolat, or Lord of the Rings. Pretty much anything my Danny Elfman or Howard Shore
Blues In Orbit is another Ellington band album that's great and completely different. The Far East suite is also very cool..
"Monk on Monk" by T.S. Monk is pretty great too, one of the best big band albums to come out in the last 10 years.
You'll find that it's hard to find stuff like TANK! that's not too shrill or repetitive. These recommendations will have a different color but you'll really enjoy them if you give them a chance.
Oh, and a more specific extrapolation on someone's recommendation below:
Mingus Ah Um, a smaller ensemble than the Seatbelts but no less kick-ass.
And for raw kick-ass you gotta check out Free For All by Art Blakey and co.
Oh shoot and don't forget this Oliver Nelson classic, "Blues and the Abstract Truth". <3 Hoe Down's bridge. Pretty cool ensemble writing!
Ok, I'll stop now. It's notable that all the guys I mentioned have 5-50 more albums which sound completely different, and each song on each album is very different! Imagine, music before pop...
FYI, the Ellington album is called Three Suites.
Duke Ellington - Three Suites. Not strictly Christmas, but it's got a great jazz take on the Nutcracker Suite to start off with. Plus, the rest is Duke Ellington, which is great.
Do you mean the song playing during the archive footage? (Watching on Netflix btw) If so, sorry, no clue. But if not, it might be something on the soundtrack:
http://www.amazon.com/War-Ken-Burns-Film/dp/B000TGUUHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1309551894&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr
track 14: http://www.amazon.com/The-Island-Steve-Jablonsky/dp/B0009X766E
I actually dont know 20s stuff so much. This is 3CD I have - $10 used! https://www.amazon.com/Blanton-Webster-Band-Duke-Ellington/dp/B000003EO4 It's really great, honestly, I love the Juan Tizol compositions especially.
Very nice - this appears to be from a little-known broadcast from the Trianon - thanks!
Available here and here among other places
similarly to what somebody else said, i left the safety of corporate to open my own law firm.
Not entirely sure it was been the best idea ever. I'll be FLABBERGASTED if this works...
Time will tell ;)
this might be fun