Band or Orchestra?

By dissing Duke Ellington, film music composer Michael Nyman revealed that he is profoundly ignorant of popular music history (“Composer of Contradictions,” by Josef Woodard, Dec. 9).

Nyman was quoted as saying he still likes the term “band,” adding that “Duke Ellington called his band an orchestra. My title is sort of dumbing down a bit and his description was dumbing up, so to speak. He was trying to get a little more status, I’m going the other way.”

For Nyman’s information, instrumental music organizations before, during and after the swing era, led by such names as Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman and Woody Herman, were routinely listed on record labels and at venues as orchestras.

Duke had no need for extra status. By singling out Duke, isn’t it possible that Nyman seeks to increase his own status by placing himself in Duke’s company?

STANLEY SLOME

Granada Hills