Big Band Showdown Trivia Quiz

Answer: Duke Ellington

Edward Ellington was known as "Duke". Recorded in 1941, "Take the A-Train" became Ellington's signature song largely because licensing fees for his former signature song had become unaffordable. His band was primarily a jazz orchestra which he led for over fifty years, starting in 1923.

Answer: Count Basie

William "Count" Basie was a jazz pianist and bandleader. Basie wrote "One O'Clock Jump" in 1937. Like many musicians, he was poor at musical notation so had a couple of his band members help with plotting out the melody. The orchestra closed their concerts with that song for over fifty years.

Answer: Benny Goodman

Goodman was billed as the "King of Swing". A 1938 concert of his at Carnegie Hall in New York City has been cited by music critics as the concert that made jazz respectable. "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" was written and first recorded by Louis Prima in 1936. Goodman recorded his version in 1937.

While most songs of the day lasted less than three minutes (to allow for being transcribed to 10-inch 78 rpm records), Goodman's was almost nine minutes long. Yes, the purchaser of the record had to listen to side one, then flip the record over to hear the second part.

Answer: Cab Calloway

Cab Calloway (first name Cabell) was from Rochester, New York. His band became associated with the Cotton Club in New York City. He was famous for his "scat singing" (nonsense lyrics) and getting the audience involved in call and response singing. "Minnie the Moocher", his signature song, was recorded in 1931 and had several coded drug references, although most people (except censors, apparently) seemed to know what he was singing about. Perhaps the ultimate hipster, Calloway showed he still had his stuff when, in 1980, he was cast as the warmup act for the big concert at the end of the "The Blues Brothers" movie.

Answer: Woody Herman

Considered a jazz standard, "Woodchopper's Ball" was a 1939 song written by Joe Bishop and Woody Herman and recorded by Herman's band, known as "the Herd". It sold a million copies. Herman was a clarinetist and long-time band leader - about fifty years. He was a featured halftime performer at the National Football League's Super Bowl VII in 1973.

Answer: Harry James

"Ciribiribin" was written in Italy in 1898 and was recorded by many artists. Harry James made it his theme song when he formed his orchestra in 1939, using Frank Sinatra as the vocalist. The trumpet-playing James disbanded his orchestra in 1946 but a year later reformed it and kept it going until his death in 1983.

Answer: Charlie Barnet

Charlie Barnet formed his first band in 1931, at age 18. He had several bands before recording "Cherokee" in 1939, which put some stability into his career. Among those who appeared with Barnet over the years were Lena Horne, Maynard Ferguson and long-time "Tonight Show" band leader Doc Severinsen.

Answer: Artie Shaw

Shaw (Arthur Arshawsky) was a popular big band leader from the late 1930s into the mid-1940s. "Begin the Beguine" was his biggest hit; it was written in 1935 by Cole Porter while on a South Pacific cruise. After World War II Shaw was drawn to authoring and acting and finally retired from music in 1954.

Answer: Tommy Dorsey

Tommy Dorsey began his career in the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra with his brother Jimmy in 1928. He formed his own jazz band in 1935, which was immediately popular. The band recorded "I'll Never Smile Again" in 1940 with Frank Sinatra as the vocalist. The song stayed at number one on the "Billboard" music charts for twelve weeks.

Answer: Glenn Miller

Glenn Miller led one of the most popular swing bands. His band sold more records than any one else between 1939 and 1943. "In the Mood" was a chart-topper for three months in 1940. In 1942, Miller persuaded the U.S. Army to accept him as a military band leader. In December, 1944, while on a military flight from England to France, the plane he was in was lost over the English Channel.