Everyone knows that the big band era began with Benny Goodman’s spectacular emergence in 1935, and that the era reached its apex between 1939 and 1942 with the popularity of Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Gene Krupa, Harry James and Glenn Miller. What is less acknowledged is that these bands derived much of their various musical styles from the black bands which both preceded them and shared swing audiences. With the exception of Duke Ellington, none of these bands received the exposure on radio, in film and at the most famous dance pavilions as did their white counterparts. We will examine the exciting musical legacy of Fletcher Henderson, Jimmie Lunceford, Chick Webb, Erskine Hawkins, Earl Hines, Count Basie, and other dynamic black bands.