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The Big Band (rereleased as The Big Band: A Tribute to Basie) is an album by American jazz organist Jimmy McGriff featuring performances recorded in 1966 and originally released on the Solid State label.

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow:
Organist Jimmy McGriff’s debut recording for the Solid State label (which has been reissued on a 1996 Laserlight CD) was also his first of many with a big band. McGriff pays tribute to the Count Basie Orchestra by performing ten songs from the Basie book (both of the 1940s and ’50s) with a large group that includes many Basie veterans. The orchestra is mostly used as a prop, however, for McGriff is generally the main soloist on such tunes as Buster Harding’s “Hob Nail Boogie,” “Swingin’ the Blues,” “Cute,” “Avenue C” and “L’il Darlin.'” Matching the leader’s powerful organ with a big band was a logical idea and one that would be successfully repeated quite a few times in the future. This budget CD gives one a good sampling of Jimmy McGriff’s playing (http://www.allmusic.com/album/big-band-a-tribute-to-basie-mw0000611109).

Track listing:
“Hob Nail Boogie” (Buster Harding) – 2:28
“Cherry Point” (Neal Hefti) – 3:57
“Swingin’ the Blues” (Count Basie, Eddie Durham) – 3:47
“Cute” (Hefti) – 3:29
“Every Day I Have the Blues” (Memphis Slim) – 4:07
“Blues Go Away” (Ernie Wilkins) – 3:34
“Avenue C” – 2:58
“L’il Darlin'” (Hefti) – 4:32
“Splanky” (Hefti) – 3:17
“Slow But Sure” (Manny Albam) – 4:36

Personnel:
Jimmy McGriff – organ
Jimmy Nottingham, Burt Collins, Markie Markowitz, Joe Newman – trumpet
J. J. Johnson, Wayne Andre, Dick Hixson – trombone
Tony Studd – bass trombone
Jerome Richardson, Frank Wess – alto saxophone
Budd Johnson, Frank Foster – tenor saxophone
Seldon Powell – baritone saxophone
Kenny Burrell, Thornell Schwartz – guitar
Richard Davis, Chet Amsterdam – bass
Grady Tate – drums
Manny Albam – arranger

Released: 1966
Recorded: 1966 in New York City
Length: 36:45
Label: Solid State SS-18001
Producer: Sonny Lester