Benny Goodman | Music Hub | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Goodman was born in Chicago, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , [1 ] who lived in the Maxwell Street neighborhood. His father was David Goodman (1873-1926), a tailor from Warsaw ; his mother was Dora Grisinsky [1 ] (1873-1964) from Kaunas , Lithuania . His parents met in Baltimore, Maryland , and moved to Chicago before Benny was born. [3 ] When Benny was 10, his father enrolled him and two of his older brothers in music lessons at the Kehelah Jacob Synagogue. The next year he joined the boys club band at Jane Addams ' Hull House , where he received lessons from director James Sylvester. He also received two years of instruction from the classically trained clarinetist Franz Schoepp. [4 ] His early influences were New Orleans jazz clarinetists working in Chicago, notably Johnny Dodds , Leon Roppolo , and Jimmy Noone . [3 ] Goodman learned quickly, becoming a strong player at an early age: he was soon playing professionally in various bands.

Goodman made his professional debut in 1921 at Central Park Theater in Chicago and entered Harrison High School in 1922. He joined the musicians’s union in 1923 and that summer he met Bix Beiderbecke. He attended Lewis Institute (now Illinois Institute of Technology ) in 1924 as a high school sophomore, while also playing the clarinet in a dance hall band. (He was awarded an honorary LL.D. from IIT in 1968.) At age 14, he was in a band that featured the legendary Bix Beiderbecke . [5 ] When Goodman was 16, he joined one of Chicago's top bands, the Ben Pollack Orchestra, with which he made his first recordings in 1926. [3 ] He made his first record on Vocalion under his own name two years later. Goodman recorded with the regular Pollack band and smaller groups drawn from the orchestra through 1929.

The side sessions produced scores of sides recorded for the various dimestore record labels under an array of group names, including Mills' Musical Clowns, Goody's Good Timers, The Hotsy Totsy Gang, Jimmy Backen's Toe Ticklers, Dixie Daisies, and Kentucky Grasshoppers. Goodman's father, David, was a working-class immigrant about whom Benny said (interview, Downbeat, February 8, 1956); "...Pop worked in the stockyards , shoveling lard in its unrefined state. He had those boots, and he'd come home at the end of the day exhausted, stinking to high heaven, and when he walked in it made me sick. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand the idea of Pop every day standing in that stuff, shoveling it around". On December 9, 1926, David Goodman was killed in a traffic accident. Benny had recently joined the Pollack band and was urging his father to retire, since he and his brother (Harry) were now doing well as professional musicians.

According to James Lincoln Collier , "Pop looked Benny in the eye and said, 'Benny, you take care of yourself, I'll take care of myself.'" Collier continues: "It was an unhappy choice. Not long afterwards, as he was stepping down from a streetcar—according to one story—he was struck by a car. He never regained consciousness and died in the hospital the next day. It was a bitter blow to the family, and it haunted Benny to the end that his father had not lived to see the success he, and some of the others, made of themselves." [6 ] "Benny described his father's death as 'the saddest thing that ever happened in our family.'" [7 ] Edit Goodman left for New York City and became a successful session musician during the late 1920s and early 1930s (mostly with Ben Pollack 's band between 1926 and 1929). A notable March 21, 1928 Victor session found Goodman alongside Glenn Miller , Tommy Dorsey , and Joe Venuti in the All-Star Orchestra, directed by Nat Shilkret .

[8 ] [9 ] [10 ] He played with the nationally known bands of Ben Selvin , Red Nichols , Isham Jones (although he is not on any of Jones's records), and Ted Lewis . He recorded sides for Brunswick under the name Benny Goodman's Boys, a band that featured Glenn Miller. In 1928, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller wrote the instrumental " Room 1411 ", which was released as a Brunswick 78. [11 ] He also recorded musical soundtracks for movie shorts; fans believe that Benny Goodman's clarinet can be heard on the soundtrack of One A. M., a Charlie Chaplin comedy re-released to theaters in 1934. During this period as a successful session musician, John Hammond arranged for a series of jazz sides recorded for and issued on Columbia starting in 1933 and continuing until his signing with Victor in 1935, during his success on radio. There were also a number of commercial studio sides recorded for Melotone Records between late 1930 and mid-1931 under Goodman's name.

The all-star Columbia sides featured Jack Teagarden , Joe Sullivan , Dick McDonough , Arthur Schutt , Gene Krupa , Teddy Wilson , Coleman Hawkins (for 1 session), and vocalists Jack Teagarden and Mildred Bailey , and the first two recorded vocals by a young Billie Holiday . In 1934 Goodman auditioned for NBC 's Let's Dance , a well-regarded three-hour weekly radio program that featured various styles of dance music. His familiar theme song by that title was based on Invitation to the Dance by Carl Maria von Weber . Since he needed new arrangements every week for the show, his agent, John Hammond , suggested that he purchase "hot" (swing) arrangements from Fletcher Henderson , an African-American musician from Atlanta who had New York's most popular African-American band in the 1920s and early 1930s. [3 ] [1] [2] Goodman in Stage Door Canteen (1943) Goodman, an experienced businessman, helped Henderson in 1929 when the stock market crashed. He purchased all of Henderson's song books, and hired Henderson's band members to teach his musicians how to play the music.

[12 ] In 1932, his career officially began with Fletcher Henderson. Although Henderson’s orchestra was at its climax of creativity, it had not reached any peaks of popularity. During the Depression, Fletcher disbanded his orchestra as he was in financial debt. [13 ] In early 1935, Goodman's band was one of three bands (the others were Xavier Cugat and "Kel Murray" [r.n. Murray Kellner]) featured on Let's Dance where they played arrangements by Henderson along with hits such as " Get Happy " and " Jingle Bells " from composer and arranger Spud Murphy . [14 ] Goodman's portion of the program from New York, at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time, aired too late to attract a large East Coast audience. However, unknown to him, the time slot gave him an avid following on the West Coast (they heard him at 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time). He and his band remained on Let's Dance until May of that year when a strike by employees of the series' sponsor, Nabisco , forced the cancellation of the radio show.

An engagement was booked at Manhattan's Roosevelt Grill (filling in for Guy Lombardo ), but the crowd there expected 'sweet' music and Goodman's band was unsuccessful. [15 ] The band set out on a tour of the United States in May 1935, but was still poorly received. By August 1935, Goodman found himself with a band that was nearly broke, disillusioned and ready to quit. Catalyst for the Swing era[ edit ] Edit [3] [4] An eager crowd of Goodman fans in Oakland In July 1935, a record of the Goodman band playing the Henderson arrangements of " King Porter Stomp " backed with " Sometimes I'm Happy ", Victor 78 25090, had been released to ecstatic reviews in both Down Beat and Melody Maker . [16 ] Reports were that in Pittsburgh at the Stanley Theater some of the kids danced in the aisles, [17 ] but in general these arrangements had made little impact on the band's tour until August 19 when they arrived in Oakland to play at McFadden's Ballroom.

[18 ] There, Goodman and his artists Gene Krupa , Bunny Berigan , and Helen Ward found a large crowd of young dancers, raving and cheering the hot music they had heard on the Let's Dance radio show. [19 ] Herb Caen wrote that "from the first note, the place was in an uproar." [20 ] One night later, at Pismo Beach , the show was another flop, and the band thought the overwhelming reception in Oakland had been a fluke. [15 ] The next night, August 21, 1935 at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles, Goodman and his band began a three-week engagement. On top of the Let's Dance airplay, Al Jarvis had been playing Goodman records on KFWB radio, and Los Angeles fans were primed to hear him in person. [21 ] Goodman started the evening with stock arrangements, but after an indifferent response, began the second set with the arrangements by Fletcher Henderson and Spud Murphy. According to Willard Alexander, the band's booking agent, Krupa said "If we're gonna die, Benny, let's die playing our own thing." [22 ] The crowd broke into cheers and applause.

News reports spread word of the enthusiastic dancing and exciting new music that was happening. Over the course of the engagement, the " Jitterbug " began to appear as a new dance craze, [23 ] and radio broadcasts carried the band's performances across the nation. [15 ] The Palomar engagement was such a marked success it is often exaggeratedly described as the beginning of the swing era . [15 ] Donald Clarke wrote "It is clear in retrospect that the Swing Era had been waiting to happen, but it was Goodman and his band that touched it off." [15 ] In November 1935 Goodman accepted an invitation to play in Chicago at the Joseph Urban Room at the Congress Hotel. His stay there extended to six months and his popularity was cemented by nationwide radio broadcasts over NBC affiliate stations. While in Chicago, the band recorded If I Could Be With You, Stompin' At The Savoy, and Goody, Goody. [15 ] Goodman also played three special concerts produced by jazz aficionado and Chicago socialite Helen Oakley .

These "Rhythm Club" concerts at the Congress Hotel included sets in which Goodman and Krupa sat in with Fletcher Henderson's band, perhaps the first racially integrated big band appearance before a paying audience in the United States. [15 ] Goodman and Krupa played in a trio with Teddy Wilson on piano. Both combinations were well-received, and Wilson stayed on. In his 1935–1936 radio broadcasts from Chicago, Goodman was introduced as the "Rajah of Rhythm." [22 ] Slingerland Drum Company had been calling Krupa the "King of Swing" as part of a sales campaign, but shortly after Goodman and crew left Chicago in May 1936 to spend the summer filming The Big Broadcast of 1937 in Hollywood, the title "King of Swing" was applied to Goodman by the media. [15 ] Goodman left record company RCA for Columbia, following his agent and soon to be brother-in-law John Hammond.

At the end of June 1936, Goodman went to Hollywood, where, on June 30, 1936 his band began CBS's "Camel Caravan," its third, and, according to Connor and Hicks, its greatest of them all, sponsored radio show, co-starring Goodman and his old boss Nat Shilkret. [8 ] [9 ] By spring, 1936, bandleader Fletcher Henderson was writing arrangements for Goodman's band. [5 ] Carnegie Hall concert[ edit ] — Will Friedwald [24 ] In late 1937, Goodman's publicist Wynn Nathanson attempted a publicity stunt by suggesting Goodman and his band should play Carnegie Hall in New York City. If this concert were to take place, then Benny Goodman would be the first jazz bandleader to perform at Carnegie Hall. "Benny Goodman was initially hesitant about the concert, fearing for the worst; however, when his film Hollywood Hotel opened to rave reviews and giant lines, he threw himself into the work.

He gave up several dates and insisted on holding rehearsals inside Carnegie Hall to familiarize the band with the lively acoustics." [25 ] The concert was the evening of January 16, 1938. It sold out weeks before, with the capacity 2,760 seats going for the top price of US$2.75 a seat, for the time a very high price. [25 ] The concert began with three contemporary numbers from the Goodman band—"Don't Be That Way," "Sometimes I'm Happy," and "One O'Clock Jump." They then played a history of jazz, starting with a Dixieland quartet performing "Sensation Rag", originally recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1918. Once again, initial crowd reaction, though polite, was tepid. Then came a jam session on "Honeysuckle Rose" featuring members of the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands as guests.

(The surprise of the session: Goodman handing a solo to Basie's guitarist Freddie Green who was never a featured soloist but earned his reputation as the best rhythm guitarist in the genre—he responded with a striking round of chord improvisations.) As the concert went on, things livened up. The Goodman band and quartet took over the stage and performed the numbers that had already made them famous. Some later trio and quartet numbers were well-received, and a vocal on "Loch Lomond" by Martha Tilton provoked five curtain calls and cries for an encore. The encore forced Goodman to make his only audience announcement for the night, stating that they had no encore prepared but that Martha would return shortly with another number. [26 ] By the time the band got to the climactic piece " Sing, Sing, Sing ", success was assured. This performance featured playing by tenor saxophonist Babe Russin , trumpeter Harry James , and Benny Goodman, backed by drummer Gene Krupa . When Goodman finished his solo, he unexpectedly gave a solo to pianist Jess Stacy . "At the Carnegie Hall concert, after the usual theatrics, Jess Stacy was allowed to solo and, given the venue, what followed was appropriate," wrote David Rickert.

"Used to just playing rhythm on the tune, he was unprepared for a turn in the spotlight, but what came out of his fingers was a graceful, impressionistic marvel with classical flourishes, yet still managed to swing. It was the best thing he ever did, and it's ironic that such a layered, nuanced performance came at the end of such a chaotic, bombastic tune." [27 ] This concert has been regarded as one of the most significant in jazz history. After years of work by musicians from all over the country, jazz had finally been accepted by mainstream audiences. Recordings were made of this concert, but even by the technology of the day the equipment used was not of the finest quality. Acetate recordings of the concert were made, and aluminum studio masters were also cut. [25 ] “ The recording was produced by Albert Marx as a special gift for his wife, Helen Ward and a second set for Benny. He contracted Artists Recording Studio to make 2 sets. Artists Recording only had 2 turntables so they farmed out the second set to Raymond Scott 's recording studio.

[...] It was Benny's sister-in-law who found the recordings in Benny's apartment [in 1950] and brought them to Benny's attention. ” — Ross Firestone [28 ] Goodman took the newly discovered recording to his record company, Columbia, and a selection was issued on LP . These recordings have not been out of print since they were first issued. In early 1998, the aluminum masters were rediscovered and a new CD set of the concert was released based on these masters. The album released based on those masters went on to be one of the best selling live jazz albums of all time.[ citation needed ] Edit Pianist/arranger Mary Lou Williams [29 ] was a good friend of both Columbia records producer John Hammond and Benny Goodman. She first suggested to John Hammond that he see Charlie Christian . [30 ] Charlie Christian was playing at the Ritz in Oklahoma City where [...] John Hammond heard him in 1939. Hammond recommended him to Benny Goodman, but the band leader wasn't interested. The idea of an electrified guitar didn't appeal, and Goodman didn't care for Christian's flashy style of dressing.

Reportedly, Hammond personally installed Christian onstage during a break in a Goodman concert in Beverly Hills. Irritated to see Christian among the band, Goodman struck up " Rose Room ", not expecting the guitarist to know the tune. What followed amazed everyone who heard the 45-minute performance. [31 ] Charlie was a hit on the electric guitar and remained in the Benny Goodman Sextet for two years (1939–1941). He wrote many of the group's head arrangements (some of which Goodman took credit for) and was an inspiration to all. The sextet made him famous and provided him with a steady income while Charlie worked on legitimizing, popularizing, revolutionizing, and standardizing the electric guitar as a jazz instrument. [32 ] Charlie Christian's recordings and rehearsal dubs made with Benny Goodman in the early forties are widely known and were released by Columbia. Edit Goodman continued his meteoric rise throughout the late 1930s with his big band , his trio and quartet, and a sextet. By the mid-1940s, however, big bands lost a lot of their popularity. In 1941, ASCAP had a licensing war with music publishers.

In 1942 to 1944 and 1948, the musician's union went on strike against the major record labels in the United States, and singers took the spot in popularity that the big bands had once enjoyed. During this strike, the United States War Department approached the union and requested the production of the V-Disc , a set of records containing new and fresh music for soldiers to listen to. [33 ] Also, by the late 1940s, swing was no longer the dominant mode of jazz musicians. [34 ] Bebop, Cool Jazz[ edit ] Edit By the 1940s, jazz musicians were borrowing advanced ideas from classical music. The recordings Goodman made in bop style for Capitol Records were highly praised by jazz critics. When Goodman was starting a bebop band, he hired Buddy Greco , Zoot Sims , Wardell Gray and a few other modern players. [35 ] —Schoenberg [35 ] Goodman enjoyed the bebop and cool jazz that was beginning to arrive in the 1940s.

When Goodman heard Thelonious Monk , a celebrated pianist and accompanist to bop players Charlie Parker , Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clarke, he remarked, "I like it, I like that very much. I like the piece and I like the way he played it. [...] I think he's got a sense of humor and he's got some good things there." [35 ] “ Benny had heard this Swedish clarinet player named Stan Hasselgard playing bebop, and he loved it ... So he started a bebop band. But after a year and a half, he became frustrated. He eventually reformed his band and went back to playing Fletcher Henderson arrangements. Benny was a swing player and decided to concentrate on what he does best. ” —Nate Guidry [36 ] By 1953, Goodman completely changed his mind about bebop. "Maybe bop has done more to set music back for years than anything [...] Basically it's all wrong. It's not even knowing the scales.

[...] Bop was mostly publicity and people figuring angles." [37 ] Forays into classical repertoire[ edit ] Edit Goodman's first classical recording dates from April 25, 1938 when he recorded Mozart 's Clarinet Quintet in A major , K. 581, with the Budapest Quartet . After his bop period, Goodman furthered his interest in classical music written for the clarinet, and frequently met with top classical clarinetists of the day. In 1946, he met Ingolf Dahl , an emigre classical composer on the faculty of the University of Southern California , who was then musical director of the Victor Borge show. They played chamber music together ( Brahms , Milhaud , Hindemith , Debussy ) and in 1948 Goodman played in the world premiere performance of Dahl's Concerto a Tre. [38 ] In 1949, when he was 40, Goodman decided to study with Reginald Kell , one of the world's leading classical clarinetists.

To do so, he had to change his entire technique: instead of holding the mouthpiece between his front teeth and lower lip, as he had done since he first took a clarinet in hand 30 years earlier, Goodman learned to adjust his embouchure to the use of both lips and even to use new fingering techniques. He had his old finger calluses removed and started to learn how to play his clarinet again—almost from scratch. [39 ] Clarinetists all over the world are indebted to Goodman for his being singly responsible for having commissioned many major works of twentieth century chamber music for clarinet and small ensembles as well as compositions for clarinet and symphony orchestra that are now standard repertoire in the field of classical performance. He also gave premiere performances of other works written by leading composers in addition to the pieces he commissioned, namely Contrasts by Béla Bartók , Clarinet Concerto No. 2, Op. 115 by Malcolm Arnold , Derivations for Clarinet and Band by Morton Gould , and Aaron Copland 's Clarinet Concerto . While Leonard Bernstein 's Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs was commissioned for Woody Herman 's big band, it was premiered by Goodman.

Woody Herman was the dedicatee (1945) and first performer (1946) of Igor Stravinsky 's Ebony Concerto , but many years later Stravinsky made another recording, this time with Benny Goodman as the soloist. [40 ] He made a further recording of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, in July 1956 with the Boston Symphony String Quartet , at the Berkshire Festival ; on the same occasion he also recorded Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A major , K. 622, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Charles Munch . He also recorded the clarinet concertos of Weber and Carl Nielsen . [3 ] Other recordings of classical repertoire by Goodman are: [41 ] Premiere Rhapsodie for Clarinet by Claude Debussy Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E flat by Johannes Brahms Rondo from Grand Duo Concertant in E flat by Weber, and An arrangement by Simeon Bellison of Beethoven 's Variations on a theme from Mozart's " Don Giovanni ".

Touring with Armstrong[ edit ] Benny Goodman's band appeared as a specialty act in major musical features, including The Big Broadcast of 1937 , Hollywood Hotel (1938), Syncopation (1942), The Powers Girl (1942), Stage Door Canteen (1943), The Gang's All Here (1943), Sweet and Lowdown (1944) and A Song Is Born (1948). Goodman's only starring feature was Sweet and Low-Down (1944). Goodman's success story was told in the 1955 motion picture The Benny Goodman Story [42 ] with Steve Allen and Donna Reed . A Universal-International production, it was a follow up to 1954's successful The Glenn Miller Story . The screenplay was heavily fictionalized, but the music was the real draw. Many of Goodman's professional colleagues appear in the film, including Ben Pollack , Gene Krupa , Lionel Hampton and Harry James . Personality and influence[ edit ] Edit Goodman was regarded by some as a demanding taskmaster, by others an arrogant and eccentric martinet.

Many musicians spoke of "The Ray", [43 ] Goodman's trademark glare that he bestowed on a musician who failed to perform to his demanding standards. Guitarist Allan Reuss incurred the maestro's displeasure on one occasion, and Goodman relegated him to the rear of the bandstand, where his contribution would be totally drowned out by the other musicians. Vocalists Anita O'Day and Helen Forrest spoke bitterly of their experiences singing with Goodman. [44 ] "The twenty or so months I spent with Benny felt like twenty years," said Forrest. "When I look back, they seem like a life sentence." At the same time, there are reports that he privately funded several college educations and was sometimes very generous, though always secretly. When a friend once asked him why, he reportedly said, "Well, if they knew about it, everyone would come to me with their hand out." [45 ] "As far as I'm concerned, what he did in those days—and they were hard days, in 1937—made it possible for Negroes to have their chance in baseball and other fields." —Lionel Hampton on Benny Goodman [46 ] Goodman is also responsible for a significant step in racial integration in America.

In the early 1930s, black and white jazz musicians could not play together in most clubs or concerts. In the Southern states, racial segregation was enforced by the Jim Crow laws . Benny Goodman broke with tradition by hiring Teddy Wilson to play with him and drummer Gene Krupa in the Benny Goodman Trio. In 1936, he added Lionel Hampton on vibes to form the Benny Goodman Quartet ; in 1939 he added pioneering jazz guitarist Charlie Christian to his band and small ensembles, who played with him until his death from tuberculosis less than three years later. This integration in music happened ten years before Jackie Robinson became the first black American to enter Major League Baseball . "[Goodman's] popularity was such that he could remain financially viable without touring the South, where he would have been subject to arrest for violating Jim Crow laws." [47 ] According to Jazz by Ken Burns , when someone asked him why he "played with that nigger " (referring to Teddy Wilson ), Goodman replied, "I'll knock you out if you use that word around me again".

John Hammond and Alice Goodman[ edit ] Edit One of Benny Goodman's closest friends off and on, from the 1930s onward was celebrated Columbia records producer John H. Hammond , who influenced Goodman's move from RCA to the newly created Columbia records in 1939. [3 ] Benny Goodman married Hammond's sister Alice Frances Hammond (1913–1978) on Friday, March 20, 1942. [48 ] They had two daughters, Benjie and Rachel. Alice was previously married to British politician Arthur Duckworth , from whom she obtained a divorce. [3 ] Both daughters studied music, though neither was as successful as her father. Hammond had encouraged Goodman to integrate his band, persuading him to employ pianist Teddy Wilson . But Hammond's tendency to interfere in the musical affairs of Goodman's and other bands led to Goodman pulling away from him. In 1953 they had another falling-out during Goodman's ill-fated tour with Louis Armstrong, which was produced by John Hammond. [3 ] Goodman appeared on a 1975 PBS salute to Hammond but remained at a distance.

In the 1980s, following the death of Alice Goodman, John Hammond and Benny Goodman, both by then elderly, reconciled. On June 25, 1985, Goodman appeared at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City for "A Tribute to John Hammond". [49 ] Edit [9] [10] Benny Goodman in concert in Nuremberg, Germany (1971) After winning numerous polls over the years as best jazz clarinetist, Goodman was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1957. Goodman continued to play on records and in small groups. One exception to this pattern[ clarification needed ] was a collaboration with George Benson in the 1970s. The two met when they taped a PBS salute to John Hammond and re-created some of the famous Goodman- Charlie Christian duets. [3 ] Benson later appeared on several tracks of a Goodman album released as "Seven Come Eleven." In general Goodman continued to play in the swing style he was most known for. He did, however, practice and perform classical clarinet pieces and commissioned compositions for clarinet.

Periodically he would organize a new band and play a jazz festival or go on an international tour. Despite increasing health problems, he continued to play until his death from a heart attack in New York City in 1986 at the age of 77, in his home at Manhattan House, 200 East 66th Street. A longtime resident of Stamford, Connecticut , Benny Goodman is interred in the Long Ridge Cemetery in Stamford . [50 ] The same year, Goodman was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . [51 ] Benny Goodman's musical papers were donated to Yale University after his death. [4 ] Goodman received honorary doctorates from Union College, University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville , [52 ] Bard College, Columbia University, Yale University, and Harvard University. [5 ] Benny Goodman Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements of Musician Musicians Benny Goodman Biography Benny Goodman was a leading jazz clarinet player and an outstanding bandleader of the Swing Era. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts related to his life.

Quick Facts Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award Image Credit Benjamin David Goodman, better known as 'Benny Goodman', was a leading jazz clarinet player and an outstanding bandleader of the Swing Era (1935-1945). He was famously nicknamed as the 'King of Swing' by his band mates. Not only his music was unique and sensational, but it also reflected his relentless pursuit of perfection. His concert at Carnegie Hall, New York City, on January 16, 1938, is widely regarded as the most important concert in the history of America. Not only Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in the country, but careers of many major jazz artists were launched by his bands. He is deeply remembered for giving America a new kind of music and also remembered for giving jazz music a completely new and different identity. In addition he was the first white bandleader to play such an important role in popularizing jazz music. He is also remembered for taking significant steps in racial integration. Early in the 1930s, when white and black musicians could not play together in concerts, he broke the tradition by hiring two black musicians to play with him.

Goodman is also remembered by clarinet players all over the world for having solely commissioned many major works of 20th century chamber music for clarinet and small ensembles. Childhood & Early Life Benny Goodman was born in Chicago on May 30, 1909, to David Goodman and Dora Grisinsky, both poor Jewish immigrants from the Russian empire. He was the ninth of their twelve children. With little income but a large family, they lived in an overcrowded slum populated by other immigrants of Irish, German, Scandinavian, Polish, Italian and Jewish origins. The conditions of the slums were horrible, with dirty streets, insufficient schools and improper sanitation. Money was also a constant problem in the family as his father could not earn more than 20 dollars per week. Benny Goodman was only ten when he picked up a clarinet for the first time. He first experienced live professional performances in Douglas Park, where his father used to take him with his siblings to see free band concerts. Soon his father enrolled him and two of his brothers at the Kehelah Jacob Synagogue, which was not only inexpensive, but also helped Benny gain his first basic lessons.

Later, he started taking lessons from James Sylvester, and joined a band soon. He also received training from the clarinetist Franz Schoepp. He was influenced by other clarinetists like Johny Dodds and Jimmie Noone as well. Being a quick learner, he became a good player at an early age, and began playing professionally for several bands. Career At the age of 14, Benny Goodman became a member of the American Federation of Musicians. But in order to pursue his ambitions in the musical world, he had to abandon his studies. He eventually joined the musical band of Ben Pollack in Los Angeles, and stayed with them until he became a leading soloist. His first album âA Jazz Holidayâ was released in 1928, after which he moved to New York. There he also worked on several radio shows, with several famous jazz artists of that time like Fats Waller, Ted Lewis and Bessie Smith. He started his career as a bandleader in 1934 for a group which became known as âThe Benny Goodman Orchestraâ.

They performed a program regularly on the NBC radio show which was known as âLetâs Danceâ. His composed an instrumental piece âMoonglowâ which became a big hit. The band later started taking tours across the country. They received much popularity for introducing a new kind of music. On 21 August 1935, the band made history owing to their incredible performance at the Palomar Ballroom, in Los Angeles. This event can be seen as the beginning of the Swing Era. Goodman also received appreciation for fighting racism by being one of the first white persons to form integrated bands. Benny Goodman had received widespread fame and success by the time he was just 28. His compositions were featured and broadcast by the radio show âThe Camel Caravanâ. The show ran till from 1936 to 1939. In 1936, he appeared as himself in the film âThe Big Broadcast of 1937â. After its success, he made several films himself like âThe Hollywood Hotelâ, âSyncopationâ and âSweet and Low-Downâ.

In 1938, he was invited by Sol Hurok to perform at the Carnegie Hall in New York City. This was another one of the important events that shaped his career as his orchestra became the first one to perform jazz at the Carnegie hall. Benny Goodman used to be very strict as a bandleader, and was a very demanding boss who sought perfection from his performers. This led many of his players to leave and start their own groups. He was described by many as an âunfriendly employerâ. Around this time, Goodman also faced competition from other popular bandleaders like Artie Shaw and Glen Miller. After the end of World War II in 1945, his popularity seemed to fade, which made Goodman break up with his band. He still continued to perform with small groups. He starred in the movie âA Song Is Bornâ in 1948. In the film about his own life, âThe Benny Goodman Storyâ (1955) he recorded the soundtrack himself. Goodman was played by comedian Steve Allen, and many of his real-life colleagues also appeared in the film.

He spent most of his time abroad during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1971 he produced another music album which was named âBenny Goodman Todayâ. Despite his falling health, he continued to perform till his death in 1986. Major Works His âFamous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concertâ, a two-disc LP of Swing music first issued in 1950 is considered to be the "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's "coming out" party to the world of "respectable" music.â The first ever double album to be issues, it was also one of the first to sell over a million copies. Awards & Achievements Shortly before Benny Goodmanâs death, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He received several awards posthumously as well, like a Grammy Award in 1987. He had also received honorary degrees from Brandeis University as well as Bard College.

For his magnificent contribution to jazz, he was featured on a postage stamp in 1996, as part of the Legends of American Music series. Personal Life & Legacy Benny Goodman married Alice Hammond Duckworth in 1942, with whom he had two children, Rachel Goodman Edelson and Benjie Goodman Lasseau. His wife died in 1978. He suffered a heart attack and died on June 13, 1986. He was buried in Long Ridge Cemetery in Stamford, Connecticut. Translate this page to Spanish, French, Hindi, Portuguese Pictures of Benny Goodman Benny Goodman - The King of Swing Click here for an extended biography. For a kid who liked jazz, Chicago was a great town to grow up in. Musicians had begun working their way north from New Orleans about the turn of the century, and by the early 1920s giants like "Jellyroll" Morton, Sidney Bechet, "King" Oliver and Louis Armstrong were playing in Chicago and making history.

Kids who paid attention to this development were going to make history themselves in a few more years - Bud Freeman, Davie Tough, Eddie Condon, Milt Mesirow (Mezz Mezzrow), Gene Krupa, "Muggsy" Spanier, Jimmy McPartland, Jess Stacy - and a kid in short pants who played the clarinet. Benny Goodman was only 10 when he first picked up a clarinet. Only a year or so later he was doing Ted Lewis imitations for pocket money. At 14 he was in a band that featured the legendary Bix Beiderbecke. By the time he was 16 he was recognized as a "comer" as far away as the west coast and was asked to join a California-based band led by another Chicago boy, Ben Pollack. Goodman played with Pollack's band for the next four years. His earliest recording was made with Pollack, but he was also recording under his own name in Chicago and New York, where the band had migrated from the west coast.

In 1929, when he was just 20, Benny struck out on his own to become a typical New York freelance musician, playing studio dates, leading a pit orchestra, making himself a seasoned professional. By 1934 he was seasoned enough to be ready for his first big break. He heard that Billy Rose needed a band for his new theatre restaurant, the Music Hall, and he got together a group of musicians who shared his enthusiasm for jazz. They auditioned and got the job. Then Benny heard that NBC was looking for three bands to rotate on a new Saturday night broadcast to be called "Let's Dance," a phrase that has been associated with the Goodman band ever since. One band on the show was to be sweet, one Latin, and the third hot. The Goodman band was hot enough to get the job, but not hot enough to satisfy Benny. He brought in Gene Krupa on drums. Fletcher Henderson began writing the arrangements - arrangements that still sound fresh more than a half century later. And the band rehearsed endlessly to achieve the precise tempos, section playing and phrasing that ushered in a new era in American music. There was only one word that could describe this band's style adequately: Swing.

After six months of broadcasting coast to coast the band was ready for a cross-country tour. The band was ready but the country was not. The tour was a disaster until its last date in August, 1935, at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles. The only plausible explanation for what happened there is that "Let's Dance" was aired three hours earlier on the west coast than in the east. The kids in Los Angeles had been listening, and thousands of them turned out to hear the band in person at the Palomar. They hadn't even come to dance; instead they crowded around the bandstand just to listen. It was a new kind of music with a new kind of audience, and their meeting at the Palomar made national headlines. When the band headed east again, after nearly two months at the Palomar, they were famous. They played for seven months at the Congress Hotel in Chicago, where Teddy Wilson joined them to complete the Benny Goodman Trio. Back in New York Lionel Hampton made it the Benny Goodman Quartet, and the band was a sensation at the Hotel Pennsylvania's Madhattan Room.

The band made it even bigger at the Paramount Theatre, where lines began forming at breakfast time and continued through the last daily show. It was grueling for the kids who waited for hours to dance in the aisles. It was more grueling for the band; they returned each night to the Madhattan Room for still more swing. At the age of 28 Benny Goodman had reached what seemed to be the pinnacle of success. The new radio program, "The Camel Caravan," was scheduled in prime time, and the whole nation listened not only to the band itself but to the intelligent commentary by some of the most influential critics of the day, including Clifton Fadiman and Robert Benchley. But it was not quite the pinnacle. On January 16, 1938, Sol Hurok, the most prestigious impresario in America, booked the Benny Goodman band into Carnegie Hall. For generations Carnegie Hall had been the nation's greatest temple of musical art, home of the New York Philharmonic and scene of every important artist's debut (even if they had played in a hundred other concert halls first). So this was a debut not only for Benny Goodman but for jazz.

Though many others followed him to Carnegie Hall, there has never been another concert with such an impact. It even made his "classical" Carnegie Hall debut more newsworthy a few years later when Benny returned there to launch his second career, as a soloist with major symphony orchestras and chamber groups. Benny Goodman was indisputably the King of Swing - the title was invented by Gene Krupa - and he reigned as such thereafter until his death in 1986 at age 77. Over the years he played with the greatest figures in jazz: Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Mildred Bailey, Bessie Smith and countless others. Many of those who played with him as sidemen later achieved fame as leaders of their own bands, as soloists, or even as movie or TV actors - Harry James, Ziggy Elman, Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton to name a few. A list of Benny's hits would fill a book. In fact it filled several books by his devoted discographer/biographer Russ Connor.

That crowded career, spanning more than six decades, had an almost unparalleled impact on popular music and the importance of the clarinet in both jazz and classical music. Thousands of youngsters throughout the world were influenced to play the clarinet through listening to Benny Goodman's recordings and live performances, and the style of those who turned to jazz was universally patterned after what they heard Benny play, whether or not they realized it. The popularity of the "big band" format is another of the legacies of this musical giant. 16 Most Requested Songs: Benny Goodman by Benny Goodman on Apple Music 16 Songs Album Review 16 Most Requested Songs is a midline-priced collection that spotlights many of Goodman's best-known and most popular performances for Columbia Records, including "Let's Dance," "Avalon," "Somebody Stole My Gal," "Why Don't You Do Right," "After You've Gone," "Stompin' at the Savoy," "How Am I to Know?" and "Sing Sing Sing." Although it's far from a perfect retrospective of his career, it's still a nice sampler of familiar items, and it may satisfy the needs of some casual fans who only want the hits.

Biography Born: May 30, 1909 in Chicago, IL Genre: Jazz Years Active: '20s, '30s, '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s Benny Goodman was the first celebrated bandleader of the Swing Era, dubbed "The King of Swing," his popular emergence marking the beginning of the era. He was an accomplished clarinetist whose distinctive playing gave an identity both to his big band and to the smaller units he led simultaneously. The most popular figure of the first few years of the Swing Era, he continued to perform until his death 50 years later. Goodman was the son of Russian immigrants David Goodman, a tailor, and Dora Rezinsky... Top Albums and Songs by Benny Goodman 1. Benny Goodman | Known people - famous people news and biographies ← Bonnie Rotten Jackie Wilson → Benny Goodman The era of Benny Goodman – “King of Swing”and”Patriarch Clarinet” – began when he helped many Americans to see the silver outline around the clouds called the Great Depression. Optimism and Grace swing helped the nation to survive those dark days.

Goodman was the ninth of twelve children in a family of Russian Jews living in Chicago. Although some professional field at the season the boys walked in the footsteps of their fathers, Goodman followed his heart and chose a musical career. Goodman once learned that in the synagogue “Kächele Jacob” gave music lessons and students were given musical instruments only 25 cents a week. Benny with two older brothers began to wander into the synagogue on the lessons. Harry began to entertain the tuba, Freddie – the trumpet and Benny’s, the smallest and the youngest was given a clarinet. Since the 20s in the Chicago music scene Jazz spread dramatically fast, young Goodman inspired such jazz pioneers like King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. In 14 years, Goodman has made money playing the clarinet in Chicago bars and dance halls. If Goodman was 16 years old, he met drummer Ben Pollack, which invited Benny amusing in his orchestra. He took the prescription Pollack and went with him to New York. due date for a Goodman formed his own ensemble, who accompanied the singer Russ Columbo. The ensemble played Gene Krupa (drums), Joe Sullivan (piano) and Babe Russin (tenor saxophone).

Goodman and his consent to have worked with Ras Columbo one summer, and then got a job in the state Saturday radio show in New York called “will dance”(Let”s Dance), which aired from 10.30 pm to 1.30 am. Thanks to the popularity of the radio show was able to make his consent zateyschik Mahina tour. All the same, many New Yorkers transmission with Goodman was very late, so in New York, its not entirely well known. As a result, the concert planned in New York, was almost derailed. And in Denver at the “Elitch Garden” club visitors demanded to give them money if no agreement will begin to entertain waltzes. All the same, if the agreement came to California, the band saw a huge queue lining up at the clubs. Because it’s time for Californians output transmission Goodman was broadcast three hours earlier, they could listen him on the radio. From that moment, everything changed. The most successful agreement reached, if performed in a Hollywood ballroom “Palomar”. If Goodman played “King Porter Stomp”and”When Buddha Smiles”, visitors even stopped dancing and crowded near the stage.

By that time, if the musicians got to Chicago, where they are entered into after an eight-month agreement with the hotel “Congress”, Goodman has called “the King of Swing.”agreement has also released a new series of programs on the radio and gave daily concerts at the”Congress” while they were in Chicago. It was at this age Goodman made a major breakthrough in race relations. He took to his ansaml two black musicians, Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton. Goodman refused to go without them, even if he traveled to the southern states. Goodman also became the first jazzman, which has achieved success in the classical music genre. But it was his swing multitudes gathered in the ballroom and forced them to dance, as it were, for example, in the theater “Paramount”in New York. During his long 60-year-old Goodman! has received numerous awards, including an honorary doctorate from Yale University merit and a medal from the Conservatory”Peabody”. Benny Goodman was married to Alice Hammond. They had two daughters, Rachel and Benji.

Benny Goodman - Music on Google Play Benny Goodman 1 $5.99 Benny Goodman in Moscow is a jazz album by clarinetist Benny Goodman, recorded live in Moscow during his tour of the Soviet Union. It was released in December 1962 by RCA Records and topped out at ... 1 Glenn Miller 0 Alton Glenn Miller was an American big band musician, arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known ... 0 Duke Ellington 0 Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader of a jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death in a career spanning over fifty years. Born in Washingt... Count Basie 0 William James "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. His mother taught him to play the piano and he started performing in his teens. Dropping out of school,...

0 Louis Armstrong 0 Louis Armstrong, nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American trumpeter, composer, singer and occasional actor who was one of the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades, fr... 0 Tommy Dorsey 0 Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", because of his smoo... 0 Lionel Hampton 0 Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich to Charlie... 0 Harry James 0 Harry Haag James was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after ... 0 Woody Herman 0 Woodrow Charles "Woody" Herman was an American jazz clarinetist, alto saxophonist, singer, and big band leader.

Leading various groups called "The Herd", Herman was one of the most popular of the 1... 0 Gene Krupa 0 Benjamin David "Benny" Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". In the mid-1930s, Goodman led one of the most popular musical group... 0 Fats Waller 0 Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations to the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano. ... 0 Ella Fitzgerald 0 Ella Jane Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer often referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz and Lady Ella. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and int... 0 Benny Goodman | RSA Benny Goodman Benny Goodman Benjamin David "Benny" Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America.

His January 16, 1938 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's 'coming out' party to the world of 'respectable' music." Goodman's bands launched the careers of many major names in jazz. During an era of segregation he also led one of the first well-known integrated jazz groups. Goodman continued to perform to nearly the end of his life, while exploring an interest in classical music. Total: 464 (I Love You - I Love You - I Love You) Sweetheart ... (When Your Hearts on Fire) Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (You Got Me Between) The Devel and the Deep Blue S... A Gal in Calico A Kiss in the Night A Little Kiss at Twilight A Smo-o-o-oth One Adrian Rollini and his Orchestra 1933-1934 Featuri... Afraid to Dream All the Cats Join In Always As Long as I Live At the Darktown Strutters' Ball At the Darktown Strutters' Ball Avalon Bei Mir Bist Du Schön Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Featuring Benny Goodm...

Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Featuring Benny Goodm... Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Geaturing Benny Goodm... Benny and Sid " Roll 'Em", Record 1 Benny and Sid " Roll 'Em", Record 2 Benny and Sid Roll 'Em Benny Goodman Benny Goodman & His Orchestra from the Congress Ho... Benny Goodman & His Orchestra from the Congress Ho... Benny Goodman & His Orchestra from the Congress Ho... Benny Goodman & His Orchestra from the Congress Ho... Benny Goodman & His Orchestra from the Congress Ho... Benny Goodman & His Orchestra from the Congress Ho... Benny Goodman - Jazz Masters 33 Benny Goodman - More of the Fabulous 50's Benny Goodman - The "Radio Years" 1940-1941, Vol. ... Benny Goodman Air Play, Record 1 Benny Goodman Air Play, Record 2 Benny Goodman Air Play, Record 2 Benny Goodman All Stars Benny Goodman and his Orchestra Featuring Bunny Be... Benny Goodman at the Madhattan Room - Dec. 18, 193... Benny Goodman at the Madhattan Room - Nov. 20, 193... Benny Goodman at the Madhattan Room - Nov. 6/Dec. ...

Benny Goodman at the Madhattan Room - Oct. 13, 193... Benny Goodman at the Madhattan Room - Oct. 16, 193... Benny Goodman at the Madhattan Room - Oct. 20, 193... Benny Goodman at the Madhattan Room - Oct. 21, 193... Benny Goodman at the Madhattan Room November 4, 19... Benny Goodman at the Madhattan Room October 23, 19... Benny Goodman at the Madhattn Room October 27, 193... Benny Goodman Big Band Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, Vol. 3 Benny Goodman Collectors Gems 1929-1945 Benny Goodman Combos Benny Goodman In A Melotone Manner Benny Goodman Live At Carnegia Hall 40th Anniversa... Benny Goodman Live at Carnegie Hall, 40th Annivers... Benny Goodman Live at Carnegie Hall, 40th Annivers... Benny Goodman Live In Las Vegas Benny Goodman Live In Las Vegas and Anaheim Benny Goodman Live in Las Vegas and Anaheim - Dece...

Benny Goodman On V-Disc V.1 1941-1945 Benny Goodman On V-Disc V.2 1945-1946 Benny Goodman on V-Disc V.3 1939-1948 Benny Goodman Plays an Album of Swing Classics Benny Goodman Plays an Album of Swing Classics, Re... Benny Goodman Plays an Album of Swing Classics, Re... Benny Goodman Plays an Album of Swing Classics, Re... Benny Goodman Plays Gershwin Benny Goodman Presents Fletcher Henderson Arrangem... Benny Goodman Sextet Benny Goodman Sing Sing Sing Benny Goodman Swing Sessions Benny Goodman Trio and Quartet Live 1937-1938 Benny Goodman Trio and Quartet V.2 Benny Goodman Trio and Quartet, Live 1937-38 Benny Goodman Trio-Quartet-Quintet Benny Goodman Twenty Greatest Hits Benny Goodman V.1 Benny Goodman V.2 Clarinet A La King Benny Goodman V.2 Live At Basin Street Benny Goodman V.3 Benny In Europe Benny Goodman Volume 5 Benny Goodman With Ben Pollack and his Orchestra Benny Goodman's 1934 Bill Dodge All-Star Recording...

Benny Goodman, A Tour de Force - The Small Groups ... Benny Goodman, A Tour de Force - The Small Groups ... Benny Goodman, A Tour de Force - The Small Groups ... Benny Goodman, A Tour de Force - The Small Groups ... Benny Goodman, A Tour de Force - The Small Groups ... Benny Goodman, Collectors' Gems 1929-1945, Record ... Benny Goodman, Collectors' Gems 1929-1945, Record ... Benny Goodman, MusicMaster Jazz, Volume 8 Benny Goodman, MusicMaster Jazz, Volume 9 Benny Goodman, V.3 All The Cats Join In Benny Goodman-Small Groups 1941-1945 Benny In Brussels, Record 1 Benny In Brussels, Record 2 Benny Rides Again!

How Deep is the Ocean Hunkadola I Can't Give You Anything But Love Baby I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby I Can't Resist You I Didn't Know What Time it Was I Don't Know Enough About You I Have Eyes I Know That You Know I Know That You Know (And You Know That I Know) I Left My Heart in Your Hand I Must Have That Man I Never Knew I Threw a Kiss in the Ocean I Want to be Happy I Want to Be Happy I'm a Ding Dong Daddy (From Dumas) I'm Not Complainin' I've Found a New Baby I've Hitched My Wagon to a Star If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight) If I Had You Is That the Way to Treat a Sweetheart? It Had to Be You It Takes Time Oh! Look at me Now On a Slow Boat to China On Stage With Benny Goodman And His Sextet On Stage with Benny Goodman and His Sextet On Stage with Benny Goodman and His Sextet, Record... On Stage with Benny Goodman and His Sextet, Record... On Stage with Benny Goodman and His Sextet, Record... On Stage with Benny Goodman and His Sextet, Record...

On the Alamo On the Sunny Side of the Street On the Sunny Side of the Street On the Sunny Side of the Street One Night Stand (Tape 1) One Night Stand (Tape 2) One Night Stand (Tape 3) One Sweet Letter from You oooOO-OH Boom! Swing with Benny Goodman and His Orchestra Swing,Swing,Swing Swingin' Into Bop! Benjamin David Goodman Swingin' Through The Years, Benny Goodman,Vol.1 Taint No Use Taking a Chance on Love Taking a Chance on Love Tales from the Vienna Woods Thanks for the Memory The Benny Goodman Caravans - Broadcast January 3, ... The Benny Goodman Caravans Broadcast April 4, 1039 The Benny Goodman Caravans Broadcast February 14, ... The Benny Goodman Caravans Broadcast January 10, 1... The Benny Goodman Caravans Broadcast March 7, 1939 The Benny Goodman Caravans Broadcast May 9, 1939 The Benny Goodman Caravans-The Small Groups v.1 The Benny Goodman Quartet: Together Again!

The Benny Goodman Story The Benny Goodman Story V.1 The Benny Goodman Story V.2 The Benny Goodman Trio Plays for Fletcher Henderso... The Blues in Your Flat The Camel Caravan The Camel Caravan, Record 1 The Camel Caravan, Record 2 The Complete Benny Goodman 1937 The Complete Benny Goodman V.2 1935-1936 The Complete Benny Goodman V.4 1936-1937 The Complete Benny Goodman V.5 1937-1938 The Complete Benny Goodman V.6 1938 The Complete Benny Goodman Vol. 2: 1935-1936, Reco... The Complete Benny Goodman Vol. 2: 1935-1936, Reco... The Complete Benny Goodman, Vol. 31 The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 3: 1936 The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 4: 1936-1937, R... The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 4: 1936-1937, R...

The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 5: 1937-1938, R... The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 5: 1937-1938, R... The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 6: 1938, Record... The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 6: 1938, Record... The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 7: 1938-1939 The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 7: 1938-1939, R... The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 7: 1938-1939, R... The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 8: 1936-1939 The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 8: 1936-1939, R... The Complete Benny Goodman, Volume 8: 1936-1939, R... The Complete Goodman The Complete Goodman Vol. 1: 1935, Record 1 The Complete Goodman Vol.

1: 1935, Record 2 The Count Benny Goodman — Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at Last.fm fip Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman, (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz musician, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, The Professor, and Swing's Senior Statesman. Goodman was regarded by some as a demanding taskmaster, by others an arrogant and eccentric martinet. Many musicians spoke of The Ray, Goodman's trademark glare that he bestowed on a musician who failed to perform to his demanding standards. Anita O'Day and Helen Forrest spoke bitterly of their… read more

Question: Benny Goodman was known as what?
Answer: The King of Swing