Swing, Swing, Swing: The Life & Times of Benny Goodman
Firestone ( The Man in Me ) strikes the right chords in this exceptionally fine biography of the King of Swing, Benny Goodman (1909-1986). With a social historian's command of events and places, he vividly chronicles his subject's ascent, beginning with his split from his brother's Chicago band just before the Crash of 1929. Firestone illuminates the recordings, club dates, tours and players in the clarinetist and bandleader's surprisingly rocky career. Full, revealing reports describe Goodman's popular appearances at the Paramount Theater and Carnegie Hall in New York City during the 1930s; his integrated bands, which crossed the racial lines in the movies as well as in the music business; his conflicts with record executive John Hammond Sr.; and his steadfast support of his bandmembers, including drummer Gene Krupa, whose career was left in tatters after he was imprisoned for giving marijuana to a minor. Extensive interviews with Goodman's contemporaries and judicious use of newspaper accounts of performances and trends not only sharpen this portrait but revive the excitement of the early days of swing. Photos not seen by PW.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.