FolkLib Index - Wisconsin Big Bands

          This page lists links for Wisconsin-based Big Bands. This refers to groups that play non-rock popular dance music comparable to the Glenn Miller Orchestra of the 1940's. Jazz bands are listed on the Jazz Discography page. Except for the artist names in bold, all recordings by the rest will be listed in my forthcoming book, (ca. 2028), FolkLib Index: Wisconsin Discography.

          artist name in bold = the recordings of these artists have already been listed and published in two or more books, so their titles will not be duplicated in my book.

A  
• .Air Command Orchestra, The - Page ( Big Bands Database Plus: Working Bands Registry) [Active: 19??-] [Milwaukee]
  B  
• .Bay City Swing Page ( Big Bands Database Plus: Working Bands Registry) ( Author ?) [Active: 198?-] [Green Bay]
• .BB Swing - Page ( Big Bands Database Plus: Working Bands Registry) [Active: 19??-] [Milwaukee]
• .Big Band, The - In The Mood - Page ( Jeff Palkowski) ( Big Bands Database Plus: Working Bands Registry) [Active: 19??-] [Milwaukee]
• .Berigan, Bunny - Discog ( FolkLib Index), Bio/Bibliog ( Mills Music Library, UW-Madison), Page ( Matt Berigan) ( Big Band Library) ( Hakan Arlebrand) ( Murray Pfeffer) ( Wikipedia), Films ( Internet Movie Database), Bibliog ( FolkLib Index) [Active: 1937-] [Fox Lake / New York, NY]
• .Big Band Reunion - "Jazz"
• .Bleyer, Archie (piano) - Page ( Wikipedia), Bibliog ( FolkLib Index) [Active: 19??-] [Corona, Long Island, NY / New York, NY / Sheboygan 1964-1989]
            [Orchestra leader since 1934, and founder of Cadence Records in 1952. According to Mike Callahan & David Edwards, at their Cadence Records Discography Web site, he married Janet Ertel, member of the Cadence group from Sheboygan, the Chordettes, and retired to somewhere in Wisconsin (it was Sheboygan) in 1964.]
  C  
• .Carlsen, Bill & his Orchestra (aka Bill Carlsen's Wisconsin Roof Orchestra) [Active: 1926-] [Milwaukee]
            ( Bill Carlsen, ?)
• .Chippewa Valley Big Band [date?: group renamed from Prime Time Big Band] [Active: 19??-] [Eau Claire]
            (members: Jon Aumann, ?)
  G  
• .Garber, Jan and His Orchestra - Discog ( FolkLib Index), Page ( Author ?) ( Big Bands Database Plus: Working Bands Registry) ( Wikipedia), Bibliog ( FolkLib Index) [Active: 1918-] [NC / Morristown, PA / GA / Chicago, IL / West Bend? / Kewaskum? / Shreveport, LA]
            [Jan Garber was a member or leader of various orchestras from 1918 until his retirement in the early 1970's. I do not know whether he ever lived in Wisconsin, but the current "Jan Garber Orchestra" under the direction of Howard Schneider is based in Kewaskum.]
            ( Howard Schneider, ?)
  H  
• .Harvey And His Orchestra, Ron [Active: 19??-] [Fond du Lac]
• .Herman, Woody (clarinet, alto/soprano saxophone, vocals) - Discog ( FolkLib Index), Page ( Wikipedia), Bibliog ( FolkLib Index) [Active: 1936-] [Milwaukee]
  J  
• .Jones, Conrad & His Orchestra [Active: 198?-] [Eau Claire]
• .Jurgens Orchestra, Dick - Discog ( FolkLib Index), Page ( Dick Jurgens III [Archive]) ( Wikipedia), Bibliog ( FolkLib Index) [Active: 193?-] [Sacramento, CA / Chicago, IL / Madison / Sacramento, CA
  K  
• .King, Wayne (alto saxophone) - Discog ( FolkLib Index), Page ( Wikipedia) ( Big Band Library) ( Author ?), Bibliog ( FolkLib Index) [Active: 1927-] [Savannah, IL / Chicago, IL]
            [the "Waltz King" once owned a cottage on Waubee Lake in Oconto County]
  M  
• .Menning Orchestra, Harold [Active: 19??-] [Appleton]
• .Monroe Orchestra, The Vaughn - (see also: Vaughn Monroe, pop singer) [Active: 1940-1953] [Boston, MA]
• .Moore, Grant and his Black Devils [Active: 19??-] [Milwaukee]
• .Mr. Lucky Swing Syndicate - Page ( Big Bands Database Plus: Working Bands Registry) (http://www.luckyswings.com/ [Webmaster: ?] - Flash Restricted!) [Active: 1999-] [Milwaukee]
  P  
• .Prime Time Big Band - Page ( Big Bands Database Plus: Working Bands Registry) [date?: group renamed to Chippewa Valley Big Band] [Active: 19??-] [Eau Claire]
            (members: Jim Gallagher [leader], Jon Aumann, ?)
  R  
• .Ring Orchestra, The Don [NOT "The Dick Jurgens Orchestra"] - Discog ( FolkLib Index), Page ( Dick Jurgens III [Archive]) [Active: 19??-19??] [McFarland]
            Warning: any recording with Don Ring's name and the name, "The Dick Jurgens Orchestra", is by "The Don Ring Orchestra". It has no legal or ethical connection to the original Dick Jurgens Orchestra. Don Ring does not have permission from the Jurgens family to use the "Dick Jurgens" name or sell pirated original recordings by Dick Jurgens. See the full details on the above "Page" link by Dick Jurgens III.
            (Don Ring: Leader and Director, with Al Anderson, Gary Beal, Brian Burke, Jim Kelly, Dave Kiepert, Ken Killian, Ken Lemke, John Meyers, Don Mills, Terry Sleister, Doug Terhune, Beth Wilson)
            For legal recordings under just his own name, see his Polka band, Don Ring & his Rhythm Kings Orchestra
• .River Cities Jazz (aka River City Jazz Band) - "Jazz"
• .Runde's Dixieland Jazz Band, Pete - "Jazz"
  S  
• .Stardust Big Band - Page ( Big Bands Database Plus: Working Bands Registry) [Active: 1988-] [La Crosse]
            ( Dick Chaffee, ?) - (former member: Jamie Kember 2003-2006)
            NOT the other "Stardust Big Band" based in Hot Springs, AR.
• .Swing Nouveau - Discog ( no known recordings), Page ( Author ?) ( Big Bands Database Plus: Working Bands Registry) [Active: 1997-] [Milwaukee]
            (Lesley Beyers, ?)
• .Swing-O-Matics - "Jazz"
  W  
• .Wilson's Orchestra, Doc [Fond du Lac]

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Known links to this page:

• None. Please write if you know of anyone who links to this page.

Can't find a Wisconsin name you thought was on this page? Check the Wisconsin Artist/Group Master Name Index page.

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