Orchestral jazz
Encyclopedia
Orchestral jazz is a jazz
genre developed in the United States
in the 1920s, most significantly by Fletcher Henderson
and Duke Ellington
.
As early as the 1910s there had been dance orchestras playing the popular songs of the day along with a smattering of jazz. But the first to truly perform and record orchestral jazz was Fletcher Henderson
, starting in about 1923, who gathered from smaller quintets and sextets a number of notable New York
based players and formed the first full jazz orchestra. Henderson relied heavily on the arranging talent of the alto saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist
Don Redman
.
Among the most significant composers of Orchestral jazz was Duke Ellington
, developing his mode at Harlem's
Cotton Club in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
genre developed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 1920s, most significantly by Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast...
and Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
.
As early as the 1910s there had been dance orchestras playing the popular songs of the day along with a smattering of jazz. But the first to truly perform and record orchestral jazz was Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast...
, starting in about 1923, who gathered from smaller quintets and sextets a number of notable New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
based players and formed the first full jazz orchestra. Henderson relied heavily on the arranging talent of the alto saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
Don Redman
Don Redman
Donald Matthew Redman was an American jazz musician, arranger, bandleader and composer.Redman was announced as a member of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame on May 6, 2009....
.
Among the most significant composers of Orchestral jazz was Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, developing his mode at Harlem's
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
Cotton Club in the late 1920s and early 1930s.