Big band jazz is a term that has become synonymous with dance bands and
swing
. As a musical genre, it reached the height of its popularity in the late 1930s and 1940s, but continues to draw devoted fans from all over the world. The so-called era of the big bands
—the late 1930s and 1940s—is frequently referred to as the swing era,
and among the most successful ensembles of the period were those led by some of the greatest musicians and...