The Complete RCA Victor Small Group Recordings
Benny Goodman's formidable work in front of the big band made him one of the world's most popular musicians, but his work with these "chamber jazz" groups made him one of the world's most respected musicians.Louis Armstrong's Hot Five andJimmie Noone's Apex Club band, to name two, had prospered in the 1920s as small groups playing traditional New Orleans-style fare, but until Goodman's forays beginning in 1935, the small band had been limited to blues, Dixieland, and the group improvisations of the New Orleans style. Goodman applied the small-group concept to the steady 4/4 rhythm and the repertoire (mostly standards) of swing. Instead of being dance music, this small-group swing showcased the individual and collective talent of the musicians involved--and the talent and telekinetic interplay of these men were considerable to say the least. Like Goodman, pianistTeddy Wilsonwas a superior technician who never let technique come before spirit or emotion. His miraculous left-hand harmonic invention (listen to "I'm a Ding Dong Daddy") and his sharp sense of humor (listen to him boogie-woogie in "Exactly Like You") never came at the expense of taste. DrummerGene Krupaand vibraphonistLionel Hamptonprovide the energy and drive. Meanwhile, Goodman's total mastery of the clarinet gave him the freedom to soar effervescently, growl menacingly, and swing majestically--and to make it all sound effortless. A revolutionary set, without even considering the social implications of being the first racially integrated band. Perfection never sounded so playful.--Marc Greilsamer