Why the Big Bands Died

loweredsixth · Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2018 1:51 pm Post subject:

This thread has some great information to ponder. I'm sure, like everything else in life, the reason why the big bands "died" is complicated...probably all of the reasons stated here.

Unfortunately for everyone here, this thread (and this site in general) is littered with some very childish and pointless banter. It's embarrassing to see adults behaving like this

_________________
The name I go by in the real world is Joe Lewis

area51recording · Veteran Member Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 480

"big band" to me is more of a blanket term any more....The big bands of the 30's and 40's played mainly for dance type functions, so when that style of dance lost favor, that was that for them. If you're talking Kenton, Maynard, Buddy, etc. you're talking about listening to the music in a concert setting, and even though it's less common you can still find it, stuff like LCJO etc.....in this case the scarcity of such bands, like a lot of stuff in our society, probably boils down to $$$$, the cost of keeping 17-18 guys working, paying for arrangers...It's tough enough to keep a jazz quartet employed these days....

adagiotrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 903

king leopardi · Veteran Member Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Posts: 278

In the US during WW2, there was a 20 percent cabaret tax on music played for dancing (from what I understand, however, that did not apply to music being played in a club for listening, which helped the smaller jazz combos). Not only would that be an economic blow for a bandleader, but it would be bad for anyone who owned a ballroom.

Factor in wartime tire and gas shortages, which would have made it harder to take a band on a long tour, especially a 17 piece band on a bus.

This, and the inevitable change in popular tastes, are what I've always thought were the causes of the loss in popularity for the big bands.

JetJaguar · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2018 4:01 pm Post subject:

“No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”
--H.L. Mencken
_________________
1938 Martin Handcraft Imperial #2 bore, 38 bell
Bach 7C mouthpiece

I'm looking for a Connstellation 5C-N or 5B-N mouthpiece
www.jazzscales.org
The Coady Strengthening Exercises: http://coady.coolwarm.com