List of American big band bandleaders

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 (born 1933)
 * 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)