If Glenn Miller’s orchestra and Tommy Dorsey’s band were touring together today, who’d win a live battle?

Here How To Vote: Drop the 3 songs of the band you think that would win the battle. MUST play to win BC and something extra! (Don't know what that extra thing is yet)

Is it going to be Miller’s smooth, arranged sound or Dorsey’s trombone driven swing

The Update:

The results are in abd who wins a live battle: Glenn Miller vs. Tommy Dorsey

Result: Tommy Dorsey 542 votes (54.2%), Glenn Miller 458 votes (45.8%).

Key reasons voters chose Dorsey:Trombone virtuosity/solo power — Dorsey’s instrumental fireworks energize live crowds.

Swing intensity — tighter hot‑band swing good for dancefloor showdowns.

Charisma & improvisation — perceived stronger soloists and hot charts.

Key reasons voters chose Miller: Polished arrangements — smooth, instantly recognizable orchestral sound.

Melodic appeal — broad crossover hits that win casual listeners.

Tighter ensemble — perceived consistency and display of lush orchestration.

Top 3 songs each band was most often nominated to play:

Tommy Dorsey: "Star Dust"/"I’ll Never Smile Again"/"Song of India"

Glenn Miller: "In the Mood"/"Moonlight Serenade"/"Chattanooga Choo Choo"

Typical imagined winning scenario for Dorsey: high‑energy set opener, extended trombone solos and call‑and‑response between brass and rhythm, sustained dance tempo, dynamic encore featuring a famous Dorsey hit.

Typical imagined winning scenario for Miller: lush, dramatic arrangements that win over judges with emotional impact and tight ensemble work; strategic mid‑set ballads to sway casual voters.

This was done with a computer simulation program to simulate modern times. I hope you all enjoyed this. I had help from my children with this simulation and we had fun listening to hours of music. I was really hoping more people would have posted more music, but that's okay - we still had lots of fun.

Thanks for being part of this

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samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

I just read your update, you lost me though, what simulation are you mentioning? how do you do the teaming you discussed? I pay in a local jazz ensemble, we play mostly the sounds of the old big bands. Our next concert is in 2 weeks, here is the play list:.

“Greatest Hits of the Big Bands”

Moonlight Serenade Glenn Miller
April in Paris Count Basie
At Last (Vocal) Glenn Miller
Fly Me to the Moon (Vocal) as recorded by Frank Sinatra
Four Brothers Woody Herman
I’m Getting Sentimental Over You Tommy Dorsey
I’ve Got You Under my Skin (Vocal) as recorded by Frank Sinatra
I Won’t Dance (Vocal) as recorded by Frank Sinatra
Leap Frog Les Brown
Muskrat Ramble Louie Armstrong
Pennsylvania 6-5000 Glenn Miller
Sentimental Journey Les Brown
Stompin’ at The Savoy Benny Goodman
String of Pearls Glenn Miller
Sweet Georgia Brown Arr. by Nestico
Where or When (Vocal) as recorded by Frank Sinatra
Witchcraft (Vocal) as recorded by Frank Sinatra
Take the ‘A’ Train Duke Ellington
In the Moods Glenn Miller

HumanEarth · F

With the help of my kids and the use of the couputer. We used a computer simulator to get the results

computer simulations use mathematical models and real-world data to project potential outcomes, helping guide better decision-making. They are particularly useful when real-world experiments are impractical or too costly.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@HumanEarth oh, okay, i thought you somehow made a composite of the works of both bands playing the same tunes. By the way, i may be biased because i play bass trombone, but the works representing both of those bands are great!

HumanEarth · F

That's what I wanted to do with this post. But not enough people posted, so my kids came up with the idea or running a computer simulations of 2000 shows of each band

rinkydinkydoink · M

@samueltyler2

Another site worth a visit - - https://swingandbeyond.com/