Benny Goodman: More Clarinet!

Benny Goodman in 1970

Last Saturday, we commemorated the birthday of Artie Shaw. Today marks the birthday of another world-class jazz clarinetist, the "King of Swing," Benny Goodman (1909-1986). He grew up poor in Chicago, but received quality musical instruction. Before long, he was playing "professionally" with many bands. The Chicago music scene also gave him an affinity for New Orleans style jazz. At 20, he left for New York and world fame.

Mention "Palomar Ballroom" and "Carnegie Hall" in the same breath and any popular music historian will follow with "Benny Goodman." Both performances are landmarks in the history of swing and jazz.

In 1935, his orchestra performed regularly on an NBC Radio program entitled, "Let's Dance." It was broadcast live across the country. Young people in the East were fast asleep when his orchestra hit the airways, but it was perfect timing for the West Coast. A strike ended the broadcasts after a few months and the band decided on a coast to coast tour. In the interior states, the tour was a disaster because people didn't care for "upbeat" jazz arranged for orchestra. The band was looking forward to the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles as the last stop and an end to the pain. When they arrived, thousands of young fans who had heard them on the radio were waiting to hear them in person. What was to be a welcome end turned into the beginning of the Swing Era.

Eighteen months later, the now famous Goodman Orchestra was invited to present a jazz review in Carnegie Hall, a venue historically reserved for "high brow" music. Several members of the Duke Ellington and Count Basie orchestras and others joined on stage to perform a concert ranging from traditional to unconventional. Music historians generally regard this legendary performance as the most important in the history of jazz. After January 16, 1938, jazz became mainstream American music.

Still tapping your foot?

What you heard in the video was a small portion of Sing, Sing Sing - Gene Krupa on drums, Harry James, Ziggy Elman and Chris Griffin on trumpet - coming at the end of the concert. What's missing is Jess Stacy's celebrated response to Goodman's nod for an unexpected piano solo. Here is all twelve minutes of a performance that would change the world of music.

Goodman would go on performing jazz, classical, and popular music for another fifty years, literally to the day he died in 1986. Check out the "King of Swing's" official site for more information.

Sources: Wikipedia and the Official Website of the King of Swing, Benny Goodman.

This is an updated version of a 2009 OTR post.