The Duke Ambassadors was a student-run jazz big band, active at Duke University from 1934 to 1964. Student-run big bands began again in 1969 as the Duke Stage Band and from 1971 to 1974 as the Duke Jazz Ensemble. From 1974 to the present, professional musician-educators have led the Duke Jazz Ensemble.

Lester Raymond Brown was an American jazz musician who led the big band Les Brown and His Band of Renown for over six decades from 1938 to 2000.