January 16, 1938: The Day When Jazz Gained Overnight Respect

On this night,  Benny Goodman and his band, along with select members of the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands, performed a concert at Carnegie Hall. No jazz bandleader had ever performed there. The concert was a sensation, reaffirming Goodman as the "King of Swing," and jazz as serious American music. Over eighty years later in the eyes of many music critics and historians, this concert remains the single most important event in popular music history in the United States. 

Benny Goodman in New York City, 1946

Superlatives aside, the concert was a study in swing music history and jazz improvisation. After several curtain calls at the end of the concert, Goodman announced to the screaming fans that an encore would follow. Sing, Sing, Sing was the last song in that set. It already was a popular piece for the band, but this performance lifted it to holy status in the swing jazz genre. Featured players: Gene Kruppa on drums, Babe Russin on saxaphone, Harry James on trumpet, Goodman on clarinet, and Jess Stacy in a masterpiece of improvisation on piano.

Recordings of the concert have remained in print as best sellers since 1950 when tape masters were found in Goodman's home and in 1998 with the discovery of the original aluminum masters. What more can be said?

Sources

Photos and Illustrations:

Library of Congress