# List of American big band bandleaders

* Top
* 0–9
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z

## 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 (1932-2021) (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)