Another decent modern jazz orchestra is Dave Grusin, who, not surprisingly, also did an Ellington album.
Squirrel Nut Zippers rock!
They certainly do, although they’re more of a combo than a big band… I think they had 8 members tops. They have much more of an old-timey, Dixieland/Southern sound than their late '90s contemporaries like Royal Crown Revue, due to their use of instruments like banjo, acoustic guitar, fiddle, and tuba.
Another great big band CD in my collection: The GRP All-Star Big Band, a self-titled album on GRP Records. Some of the best arrangements I’ve ever heard on that album.
Benny Goodman is a giant on his own, but you also have to hear his band while Charlie Christian was a member.