Benny Goodman - Music Biography, Credits and Discography _ AllMusic

Benny Goodman - Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/benny-goodman-mn0000163133[27/2/2013 6:16:09 ]

Benny Goodman JUMP TO DISCOGRAPHY

GENRES

STYLES

ACTIVE

BORN

DIED

ALIASES

Jazz

Big Band

Sweet Bands

Swing

1920s - 1980s

May 30, 1909 in Chicago, IL

June 13, 1986 in New York,

NY

Benjamin David Goodman

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biography by William Ruhlmann

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Benny Goodman was the first celebrated bandleader of the Swing Era, dubbed "The King of Swing," hispopular emergence marking the beginning of the era. He was an accomplished clarinetist whosedistinctive 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 death50 years later.

Goodman was the son of Russian immigrants David Goodman, a tailor, and Dora Rezinsky Goodman.He first began taking clarinet lessons at ten at a synagogue, after which he joined the band at HullHouse, a settlement home. He made his professional debut at 12 and dropped out of high school at 14to become a musician. At 16, in August 1925, he joined the Ben Pollack band, with which he made hisfirst released band recordings in December 1926. His first recordings under his own name were madein January 1928. At 20, in September 1929, he left Pollack to settle in New York and work as afreelance musician, working at recording sessions, radio dates, and in the pit bands of Broadwaymusicals. He also made recordings under his own name with pickup bands, first reaching the chartswith "He's Not Worth Your Tears" (vocal by Scrappy Lambert) on Melotone Records in January 1931.He signed to Columbia Records in the fall of 1934 and reached the Top Ten in early 1934 with "Ain'tCha Glad?" (vocal by Jack Teagarden), "Riffin' the Scotch" (vocal by Billie Holiday), and "Ol' Pappy"(vocal by Mildred Bailey), and in the spring with "I Ain't Lazy, I'm Just Dreamin'" (vocal by JackTeagarden).

These record successes and an offer to perform at Billy Rose's Music Hall inspired Goodman toorganize a permanent performing orchestra, which gave its first performance on June 1, 1934. Hisinstrumental recording of "Moon Glow" hit number one in July, and he scored two more Top Ten hitsin the fall with the instrumentals "Take My Word" and "Bugle Call Rag." After a four-and-a-half-month stay at the Music Hall, he was signed for the Saturday night Let's Dance program on NBC radio,playing the last hour of the three-hour show. During the six months he spent on the show, he scoredanother six Top Ten hits on Columbia, then switched to RCA Victor, for which he recorded five moreTop Ten hits by the end of the year.

After leaving Let's Dance, Goodman undertook a national tour in the summer of 1935. It was notparticularly successful until he reached the West Coast, where his segment of Let's Dance had beenheard three hours earlier than on the East Coast. His performance at the Palomar Ballroom near LosAngeles on August 21, 1935, was a spectacular success, remembered as the date on which the Swing Erabegan. He moved on to a six-month residency at the Congress Hotel in Chicago, beginning inNovember. He scored 15 Top Ten hits in 1936, including the chart-toppers "It's Been So Long,""Goody-Goody," "The Glory of Love," "These Foolish Things Remind Me of You," and "You Turned theTables on Me" (all vocals by Helen Ward). He became the host of the radio series The Camel Caravan,which ran until the end of 1939, and in October 1936, the orchestra made its film debut in The BigBroadcast of 1937. The same month, Goodman began a residency at the Pennsylvania Hotel in NewYork.

Goodman's next number one hit, in February 1937, featured Ella Fitzgerald on vocals and was theband's first hit with new trumpeter Harry James. It was also the first of six Top Ten hits during theyear, including the chart-topping "This Year's Kisses" (vocal by Margaret McCrae). In December, theband appeared in another film, Hollywood Hotel. The peak of Goodman's renown in the 1930s came onJanuary 16, 1938, when he performed a concert at Carnegie Hall, but he went on to score 14 Top Tenhits during the year, among them the number ones "Don't Be That Way" (an instrumental) and "I Let aSong Go out of My Heart" (vocal by Martha Tilton), as well as the thrilling instrumental "Sing, Sing,Sing (With a Swing)," which later was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

By 1939, Goodman had lost such major instrumentalists as Gene Krupa and Harry James, who left to

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artist moods

artist themes

Amiable/Good-Natured

CheerfulConfident

Elegant EnergeticJoyous RousingExuberant WarmBright CarefreeFreewheeling FunGleeful Laid-Back/MellowLively PlayfulRefined SentimentalSophisticated StylishSweet

Housework PicnicReminiscing ReunionPartying TGIF

Affection/FondnessCelebrationDay Driving

Family Gatherings Hanging OutRelaxation Road TripSunday Afternoon

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found their own bands, and he faced significant competition from newly emerged bandleaders such asArtie Shaw and Glenn Miller. But he still managed to score eight Top Ten hits during the year,including the chart-topper "And the Angels Sing" (vocal by Martha Tilton), another inductee to theGrammy Hall of Fame. He returned to Columbia Records in the fall. In November, he appeared in theBroadway musical Swingin' the Dream, leading a sextet. The show was short-lived, but it provided himwith the song "Darn That Dream" (vocal by Mildred Bailey), which hit number one for him in March1940. It was the first of only three Top Ten hits he scored in 1940, his progress slowed by illness; inJuly he disbanded temporarily and underwent surgery for a slipped disk, not reorganizing untilOctober. He scored two Top Ten hits in 1941, one of which was the chart-topper "There'll Be SomeChanges Made" (vocal by Louise Tobin), and he returned to radio with his own show. Among his threeTop Ten hits in 1942 were the number ones "Somebody Else Is Taking My Place" (vocal by Peggy Lee)and the instrumental "Jersey Bounce." He also appeared in the film Syncopation, released in May.

American entry into World War II and the onset of the recording ban called by the AmericanFederation of Musicians in August 1942 made things difficult for all performers. Goodman managed toscore a couple of Top Ten hits, including the number one "Taking a Chance on Love" (vocal by HelenForrest), in 1943, drawn from material recorded before the start of the ban. And he used his free timeto work in films, appearing in three during the year: The Powers Girl (January), Stage Door Canteen(July), and The Gang's All Here (December).

Goodman disbanded in March 1944. He appeared in the film Sweet and Low-Down in September andplayed with a quintet in the Broadway revue Seven Lively Arts, which opened December 7 and ran 182performances. Meanwhile, the musicians union strike was settled, freeing him to go back into therecording studio. In April 1945, his compilation album Hot Jazz reached the Top Ten on the newlyinstituted album charts. He reorganized his big band and scored three Top Ten hits during the year,among them "Gotta Be This or That" (vocal by Benny Goodman), which just missed hitting numberone. "Symphony" (vocal by Liza Morrow) also came close to hitting number one in early 1946, andBenny Goodman Sextet Session did hit number one on the album charts in May 1946. Goodman hosteda radio series with Victor Borge in 1946-1947, and he continued to record, switching to Capitol Records.He appeared in the film A Song Is Born in October 1948 and meanwhile experimented with bebop inhis big band. But in December 1949, he disbanded, though he continued to organize groups on atemporary basis for tours and recording sessions.

If popular music had largely passed Goodman by as of 1950, hisaudience was not tired of listening to his vintage music. He discovereda recording that had been made of his 1938 Carnegie Hall concert andColumbia Records released it on LP in November 1950 as CarnegieHall Jazz Concert, Vol. 1 & 2. It spent a year in the charts, becomingthe best-selling jazz album ever up to that time, and was laterinducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. A follow-up album ofairchecks, Benny Goodman 1937-1938: Jazz Concert No. 2, hit numberone in December 1952. The rise of the high fidelity 12" LP ledGoodman to re-record his hits for the Capitol album B.G. in Hi-Fi,which reached the Top Ten in March 1955. A year later, he had another Top Ten album of re-recordings with the soundtrack album for his film biography, The Benny Goodman Story, in which hewas portrayed by Steve Allen but dubbed in his own playing.

After a tour of the Far East in 1956-1957, Goodman increasinglyperformed overseas. His 1962 tour of the U.S.S.R. resulted in the chartalbum Benny Goodman in Moscow. In 1963, RCA Victor staged astudio reunion of the Benny Goodman Quartet of the 1930s, featuringGoodman, Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson, and Lionel Hampton. Theresult was the 1964 chart album Together Again! Goodman recordedless frequently in his later years, though he reached the charts in 1971with Benny Goodman Today, recorded live in Stockholm. His lastalbum to be released before his death from a heart attack at 77 wasLet's Dance, a television soundtrack, which earned a Grammy

nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band.

Goodman's lengthy career and his popular success especially in the 1930s and '40s has resulted in anenormous catalog. His major recordings are on Columbia and RCA Victor, but Music Masters has put



discography MAIN ALBUMS COMPILATIONS SINGLES & EPS DVDS & VIDEOS

Year Title Label Editors' Rating Average User Rating

1949The Benny GoodmanSession Columbia No User Ratings

1950 Let's Hear the Melody Columbia No User Ratings

1950Live at Carnegie Hall(1938)

Columbia(3)

1950 Session for Six Capitol No User Ratings

1951The Benny GoodmanTrio Plays

Columbia No User Ratings

1951 Goodman & Teagarden Jazz Panorama No User Ratings

1952 Easy Does It Capitol No User Ratings

1952The Benny GoodmanTrio

Capitol No User Ratings

1953The Benny GoodmanTouch No User Ratings

1953The Benny GoodmanBand Capitol No User Ratings

1954 B.G. in Hi-Fi Blue Note(1)

1954For the FletcherHenderson Fund No User Ratings

1954The New BennyGoodman Sextet Columbia No User Ratings

1955The Benny GoodmanStory, Vol. 1 [Decca] Hallmark Recordings No User Ratings

1955The Benny GoodmanStory, Vol. 2 [Decca] Decca No User Ratings

1955The Benny GoodmanStory, Vols. 1-2 [Decca] MCA No User Ratings

list condensed

out a series of archival discs from his personal collection, and many small labels have issued airchecks.The recordings continue to demonstrate Goodman's remarkable talents as an instrumentalist and as abandleader.

COLLAPSE



1955 With Charlie Christian No User Ratings

1956Benny GoodmanCombos Capitol No User Ratings

1956 Benny at the Ballroom Columbia No User Ratings

1956Date with the King

Collectables No User Ratings

1956 Mostly Sextets Capitol No User Ratings

1956The Benny GoodmanSix


1956The Great BennyGoodman Columbia No User Ratings

1956The Vintage BennyGoodman Columbia No User Ratings

1956 Trio Quartet Quintet No User Ratings

1957Peggy Lee Sings withBenny Goodman

Harmony No User Ratings

1958Benny in Brussels, Vol.1


1958Benny in Brussels, Vol.2


1958 Happy Session Essential Jazz Classics No User Ratings

1958Benny Goodman PlaysWorld Favorites in HighFidelity

Westinghouse No User Ratings

1958Benny Rides Again

Universal Special Products No User Ratings

1959 Benny in Brussels Jazz Plaza Music No User Ratings

1959In Stockholm 1959

Phontastic No User Ratings

1959The Benny GoodmanTreasure Chest MGM No User Ratings

1960 Kingdom of Swing Victor Records No User Ratings

1964 Made in Japan Capitol No User Ratings

1964 Hello, Benny Capitol No User Ratings



1964

Together Again! (1963Reunion with LionelHampton, Teddy Wilson& Gene Krupa)

Bluebird RCA(4)

1966 Meeting at the Summit Columbia No User Ratings

1967Listen to the Magic

Command No User Ratings

1969 London Date Philips No User Ratings

1969Let's Dance Again

Mega Ent. & Records No User Ratings

1970Live in Stockholm 1970

London No User Ratings

1971Benny Goodman Today

Dutton Vocalion No User Ratings

1972 On Stage London No User Ratings

1973 The King Swings Star Line No User Ratings

1982Seven Comes Eleven

Le Chant du Monde No User Ratings

1986Take It to the Limit

EMI Music Distribution No User Ratings

1987Mozart: ClarinetConcerto and Quintet Rca Red Seal (1)

1991Bartk: Contrasts;Mikrokosmos [Excerpts] Sony Music Distribution No User Ratings

1994Big Band Spectacular,Vols. 1-2

Madacy Distribution /Madacy No User Ratings

1997 Mozart at Tanglewood RCA Victor / BMG No User Ratings

2000 Stealin' Apples Definitive / DefinitiveClassics (1)

2001Forever Gold: TheBenny Goodman Story Blue Note / Capitol Jazz No User Ratings

2002The Famous CarnegieHall Jazz Concert 1938 Tim (3)

2007Radio & RecordingRarities, Vol. 23

Lowlights / LowlightsPublishing No User Ratings

AFRS Benny GoodmanShow, Vol. 16 Sounds of Yesteryear No User Ratings

Clarinet Recital: Mozart,Bartok, Debussy, Naxos Classical Archives No User Ratings



Brahms, Beethoven

Mozart: ClarinetConcerto; ClarinetQuintet

Sony Classical No User Ratings

Mozart: Piano QuartetsNos. 1 & 2 Naxos Historical No User Ratings

The Benny GoodmanShow, Vol. 16 Sounds of Yesteryear No User Ratings

The Columbia MastersVol. 3: Music byDebussy, Bruch, Ravel

Barbirolli Society No User Ratings

Tresors BennyGoodman RCA Victor No User Ratings

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Benny Goodman - Music Biography, Credits and Discography _ AllMusic

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