SINCE 1828
big band
nounDefinition of big band
: a band that is larger than a combo and that usually features a mixture of ensemble playing and solo improvisation typical of jazz or swing
Examples of big band in a Sentence
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The Police was one of the biggest bands in the world then—and Patrick Stewart. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "Everything We Know So Far About Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune'," 14 Jan. 2019 And what’s the through-line that takes you from fronting one of the biggest bands in the history of the world to launching a business in the tattoo-maintenance space? — Corey Seymour, Vogue, "131 Totally Uncensored Minutes with David Lee Roth, From His New Tattoo Skincare Line to the Secret of Van Halen," 11 Dec. 2018 The main genre here is jazz—anything from bebop and contemporary jazz to Latin jazz and big bands. — Carrie Hutchinson, Condé Nast Traveler, "10 Best Venues & Places for Live Music in Melbourne," 10 Sep. 2018 Last October, Schneider’s ensemble won the DownBeat Readers Poll for best big band, and Schneider took prizes for best composer and arranger. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Stars come out for Elmhurst College Jazz Festival," 15 Feb. 2018 That dwarfs the comparable reach of some of the genre’s biggest bands, such as Slayer (284,000 YouTube subscribers), Megadeth (474,000) and Iron Maiden (898,000), putting him in the company of Metallica (3.9 million). — Chris Kornelis, WSJ, "Who’s That Covering Coldplay? It’s Loud, Raucous and Involves Headbanging," 30 Oct. 2018 Break up with the eerie vibes with some big band and Sinatra. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "33 Epic Halloween Songs To Make Up For Your Last-Minute Costume," 29 Sep. 2018 The show bridges gaps between Passover, big band and techno, sending dancers through feverish routines that range from utterly unglued to tightly comedic. — Kt Hawbaker, chicagotribune.com, "Ohad Naharin brings Gaga choreography back to Hubbard Street — just don't try to define it," 6 June 2018 His parents were musicians, he in big bands and she in classical chamber groups. — Marc Fisher, latimes.com, "Dan Ingram, early 'Top 40' DJ known for biting humor, dies at 83," 29 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'big band.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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