List of American big band bandleaders explained

See main article: Big band.

A

• Irving Aaronson (1895–1963)
• Louis Armstrong (1901–1971) (Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra, 1928 - 1947)
• Toshiko Akiyoshi (born 1929) (Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band)
• Ray Anthony (born 1922)
• Lil Hardin Armstrong (1898-1971)
• Georgie Auld (1919-1990) (Georgie Auld and His Orchestra, Georgie Auld and His Hollywood All Stars)

B

• Charlie Barnet (1913-1991)
• Count Basie (1904–1984) (Count Basie Orchestra, 1934 - 1984)
• Louie Bellson (1924-2009)
• Bunny Berigan (1908-1942)
• Carla Bley (born 1936)
• Will Bradley (1912-1989)
• Les Brown (1912-2001) (Les Brown and His Band of Renown) (1938–2001)

C

• Joe Cabot (1921-2016)
• Cab Calloway (1907–1994) (Cab Calloway Orchestra)
• Frankie Carle (1903-2001)
• Benny Carter (1907-2003)
• Larry Clinton (1909-1985)
• Harry Connick, Jr. (born 1967)
• Hank Crawford (1934-2009)
• Bob Crosby (1913-1993)
• Bob Curnow (born 1941)

D

• Tommy Dorsey (1905–1956) (Dorsey Brothers Orchestra) (1928 - 1956), Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (1935 - 1956)
• Jimmy Dorsey (1904–1957) (Dorsey Brothers Orchestra (1928 - 1956), Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra)
• Eddy Duchin (1909–1951) (Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra)

E

• Billy Eckstine (1914-1993)
• Les Elgart (1917-1995)
• Duke Ellington (1899–1974) (Duke Ellington Orchestra)
• Mercer Ellington (1919-1996)
• Don Ellis (1934-1978)
• Ziggy Elman (1914-1968) (Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra)
• Gil Evans (1912–1988)

F

• Maynard Ferguson (1928–2006)
• Jerry Fielding (1922-1980)
• Shep Fields (1910–1981) (Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm)
• Brent Fischer (born 1964)
• Bob Florence (1932-2008) (the Limited Edition)

G

• Jan Garber (1897–1977) (Jan Garber Orchestra)
• Terry Gibbs (born 1924)
• Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993)
• Benny Goodman (1909–1986) (Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, 1932 - 1952)
• Gordon Goodwin (born 1954) (Big Phat Band)
• Glen Gray (1900-1963) (Casa Loma Orchestra) (1927-1963)
• George Gee (George Gee Swing Orchestra; formerly known as the Make-Believe Ballroom Orchestra)

H

• Henry Halstead (1897–1984)
• Lionel Hampton (1908-2002)
• Slide Hampton (born 1932) (Slide Hampton Ultra Big Band)
• Erskine Hawkins (1914–1993)
• Horace Heidt (1901-1986)
• Neal Hefti (1922-2008)
• Fletcher Henderson (1897–1952)
• Woody Herman (1913–1987)
• Teddy Hill (1909-1978)
• Tiny Hill (1906-1971)
• Earl Hines (1903-1983)
• Claude Hopkins (1903-1984)
• Pee Wee Hunt (1907-1979)
• Lloyd Hunter (1910-1961)
• Ina Ray Hutton (1916-1984) (Melodears)

I

• Tommy Igoe (born 1964) (The Birdland Big Band)

H

• Harry James (1916–1983)
• Galen Jeter (Dallas Jazz Orchestra)
• Dick Johnson (clarinetist) (1925–2010)
• Isham Jones (1894–1956)
• Quincy Jones (1933–2024)
• Thad Jones (1923–1986) (The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra) (c.1965-1977)
• Louis Jordan (1908–1975)

K

• Sammy Kaye (1910–1987)
• Hal Kemp (1904-1940)
• Stan Kenton (1911–1979)
• Wayne King (1901–1985)
• Andy Kirk (1898-1992) (Twelve Clouds of Joy)
• Gene Krupa (1909-1973)
• Tom Kubis (born 1951)
• Kay Kyser (1905–1985)

L

• Kevin Chad Layer (Born 1988)
• Mel Lewis (1929–1990) (The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra) (c.1965-1977))
• Ted Lewis (1890–1971)
• Guy Lombardo (1902–1977)
• Johnny Long (1914-1972)
• Vincent Lopez (1896–1975)
• Jimmie Lunceford (1902–1947)

M

• Rob McConnell (1935-2010) (the Boss Brass)
• Ray McKinley (1910-1995)
• Hal McIntyre (1914-1959)
• Richard Maltby (1914-1991)
• Gap Mangione (born 1938)
• Ralph Marterie (1914-1978)
• Freddy Martin (1906-1983)
• Frankie Masters (1904–1991)
• Billy May (1916–2004)
• Glenn Miller (1904–1944) (Glenn Miller Orchestra, 1937 - 1942)
• Lucky Millinder (1900–1966)
• Charles Mingus (1922-1979)
• Bob Mintzer (born 1953) (Bob Mintzer Big Band)
• Vaughn Monroe (1911–1973)
• Russ Morgan (1904–1969)
• Bennie Moten (1894-1935) (Kansas City Orchestra)
• Gerry Mulligan (1927-1996) (Concert Jazz Band)

N

• Ray Nance (1913-1976)
• Ozzie Nelson (1906-1975)
• Red Nichols (1905–1965)
• Ray Noble (1903–1978)
• Red Norvo (1908-1999)

O

• Joe "King" Oliver (1885–1938)
• Kid Ory (1886–1973)

P

• Tony Pastor (1907–1969)
• George Paxton (1914-1989)
• Fats Pichon (1906–1967)
• Ben Pollack (1903–1971)
• Perez Prado (1916-1989)
• Louis Prima (1910-1978)
• Paul Whiteman (1880-1967)

R

• Boyd Raeburn (1913-1966)
• Ray Reach (born 1948)
• Don Redman (1900–1964) (Don Redman Orchestra, 1931 - 1940)
• Alvino Rey (1908-2004)
• Buddy Rich (1917–1987) (Buddy Rich Big Band)
• Nelson Riddle (1921–1985)
• Shorty Rogers (1924-1994) (Shorty Rogers and His Giants)

S

• Sauter-Finegan Orchestra led by Eddie Sauter (1914-1981) and Bill Finegan (1917-2008)
• Jan Savitt (1907-1948) (Jan Savitt & His Top Hatters, the Jan Savitt String Orchestra, Jan Savitt & His Orchestra)
• Maria Schneider (born 1960) (Maria Schneider Orchestra)
• Vic Schoen (1916-2000) (The Vic Schoen Orchestra)
• Raymond Scott (1908-1994)
• Ben Selvin (1898–1980)
• Brian Setzer (born 1959) (The Brian Setzer Orchestra)
• Artie Shaw (1910–2004)
• Tom Smith (born 1957) (Unifour Jazz Ensemble)
• John Philip Sousa (1858-1932)
• Charlie Spivak (1905/07- 1982)
• Sun Ra (1914–1993)

T

• Lew Tabackin (born 1940)
• Jack Teagarden (1905–1964) (Jack Teagarden and His Orchestra, 1939 - 1946)
• Dan Terry (1924-2011)
• Claude Thornhill (1908-1965)
• Orrin Tucker (1911-2011) (Orrin Tucker and his Orchestra)
• Tommy Tucker (1903-1989) (Tommy Tucker and his Orchestra)

V

• Rudy Vallee (1901-1986) (The Connecticut Yankees)
• Charlie Ventura (1916-1992)
• Tommy Vig (born 1938)

W

• Fred Waring (1900–1984) (Waring's Pennsylvanians)
• Chick Webb (1905–1939)
• Ted Weems (1901–1963)
• Lawrence Welk (1903–1992)
• Paul Whiteman (1890–1967)
• Gerald Wilson (1918-2014)
• Anna Mae Winburn (1913-1999)

Z

• Si Zentner (1917-2000)

See also

• Big band remote
• List of big bands