I can appreciate the conventional big bands (Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, etc.), but I've never felt passionate about them. Being of my parents' generation, they weren't that exciting to me, though I know the arrangements and performances are great. That feeling is a deep seated one from childhood.
BK zeros in on the single most amazing one: Duke Ellington. The music was so forward looking it still sounds "modern" and electrifying. His are masterful compositions and I'm sure I haven't heard the half of it. The score to Anatomy of a Murder is killer, and I wish he'd composed for more films. His suites and such...well, I said it before and I'll say it again...they're electrifying.