Seventeen musicians – one sound. And a very convincing sound, at that. The SWR Big Band has been nominated several times for the Grammy Awards, most recently in 2022 for the album Bird Lives, and were awarded for Best Arrangement with John Beasley. A great honour in 2011, when it was the first German band ever suggested for the “Prêmio da Música Brasileira”, Brazil’s most important music award with "Bossarenova" with Paula Morelenbaum and Filo Machado. Also the band received in 2015 a Jazz Award in Gold from German music industry. In the face of this, it seems almost modest to say that the SWR Big Band is one of the best big bands in the world. Jazz, fusion or world music, the repertoire is large. As is the list of recent guests and collaborators: Quincy Jones, Gregory Porter, Chris Potter, Larry Carlton, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, John Beasley, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Tia Fuller, Curtis Stigers, Jacob Collier, Roy Hargrove, Sammy Nestico, Ivan Lins, Ack van Rooyen, Joo Kraus, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Maria Schneider, Bob Mintzer, Nils Landgren, Zaz, New York Voices and more. Since 2018 Swedish jazz-icon Magnus Lindgren serves as artist in residence for the band as arranger and musical director. Like the big bands in the USA, the SWR Big Band has its own sound, created by its founder and conductor, Prof. Erwin Lehn gently refined till today. Ever since the early nineties, the SWR Big Band has been appearing with various bandleaders, depending on the project and style of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzvNrRBWd8Q