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Big Band Quotes

On swing, jazz roots, and the sound of a full orchestra.

These big band quotes cover Sinatra-style arrangements and the blues foundation beneath most big band Jazz tunes musicians grew up humming.

We've gone further on this album, where we have a Big Band song, kind of a Sinatra-type song; we have a couple songs that have electronic music on them. We've got a couple rock songs, maybe a little heavier than...

Quotes by Zac Brown

I was actually going to work at Tokyo Disney. I thought, 'I'll work in the family!' That was my postgraduate plan. I didn't really have any plans lined up, but I was going to audition for this big band jazz...

Quotes by Sasheer Zamata

When I'd hear something that sounded like I could follow it - most of those big band jazz tunes are blues anyway - I would hum it and play with the fiddle while I was humming.

Quotes by Johnny Gimble

There's sort of an open offer to work with a guy in Los Angeles who does big band and orchestra arrangements who was at least an acquaintance to Les Baxter before he passed away.

Quotes by Jello Biafra

Jazz Quotes

I knew I wanted to be an actor for a long time, but I was based out of Chicago and then I went to New York and I did 'The Upright Citizens Brigade' out there. I had a two-man show...

Quotes by Jake Johnson

I grew up with singers. My father's mother sang opera. My dad was a big band singer. I can't remember a time there wasn't music in the house, so I grew up listening to great songwriters - George Gershwin, Cole...

Quotes by J. D. Souther

I think I've been influenced by everything I've ever heard. The first thing I ever heard was my grandma, who was an opera singer. The first song I ever learned was the 'Nessun Dorma' from Puccini's 'Turandot.' My father was...

Quotes by J. D. Souther

My dad was a huge big band and jazz fan, and we both sort of enjoyed be-bop, but man, it required so much skill to play it. And then there was cool jazz, the era that Miles, Coltrane, and Ornette...

Quotes by J. D. Souther

When I was a kid, I used to listen to my Emerson radio late at night under the covers. I started by listening to jazz in the late 1940s and then vocal harmony groups like the Four Freshmen, the Modernaires...

Quotes by Frankie Valli

Music Quotes

I mean, I don't think I would call Claus to do an album of big band tunes. You know, just like arrangers write for the artist they have in mind; you have to keep in mind if you're going to...

Quotes by Diana Krall

When do you suppose the electric guitar was invented? If you thought the 1950s, you'd be wrong. If you can muster a recollection of hearing electric guitar in Lionel Hampton's big band in the 1940s and date it to that...

Quotes by Daniel Levitin

My brother had a big band in high school; after that we continued to play together, eventually forming a group called the Jazz Brothers, that recorded for Riverside Records.

Quotes by Chuck Mangione

The Big Band Era is my era. People say, 'Where did you get your style from?' I did the Big Band Era on guitar. That's the best way I could explain it.

Quotes by Chuck Berry

Being such a big band is never a problem but it can be distracting.

Quotes by Chris Martin

Nostalgia Quotes

I know it might be surprising to some, but anyone who knows me - especially those who shared a changing room with me in my playing days who first told me I could sing - will tell you what a...

Quotes by Chris Kamara

I always told the people at Cal Arts that if they wanted me to do Jazz studies, first of all, there couldn't be a big band within 500 miles and that I could do what I wanted to do. And...

Quotes by Charlie Haden

What music I listen to day to day changes very, very much. I can go from bluegrass to heavy metal, to blues, to classical and big band and then go to pop and rap.

Quotes by Casey James

Living composers writing for big band are very few and far between. There are not a lot of them, and I have a talent for doing it. I am zeroing in on what I do best.

Quotes by Carla Bley

Since the big band started I'm just always swamped with movies and things. It certainly pays the bills and it's very satisfying, because I get to write all these big charts and all this crazy music.

Quotes by Brian Setzer

Performance Quotes

I started a big band when grunge was popular. I mean, that didn't make much sense.

Quotes by Brian Setzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What musical styles do these big band quotes reference?
They cover Sinatra-style album tracks, blues-rooted big band jazz tunes, and orchestral arrangement work.
Is there a quote about an unusual career path?
Yes, one musician recalls almost auditioning to work at Tokyo Disney as a postgraduate plan before pursuing music instead.
Do any quotes mention learning big band music by ear?
Yes, one describes humming along to big band jazz tunes and playing fiddle by feel rather than reading notation.
Is there a connection to Les Baxter in these quotes?
Yes, one quote mentions an offer to work with an arranger in Los Angeles who was once an acquaintance of Les Baxter.
Where can I explore more music-related quotes?
See our Jazz and Music quotes for more on musical craft and style.

Others recall unusual career detours, like almost working at Tokyo Disney instead of touring. See more in our Music and Performance quotes.