Among the numerous music genres, Jazz has an intriguing characteristic that makes it stand out. Some people think that it is way too complicated while others never find any other music as soothing and relaxing as Jazz. In some way or the other, Jazz was and always will be the point of attraction of many people in and outside of the USA. Since the time of its genesis to the present day, Jazz has seen several developments through the hands of legends. What makes Jazz timeless is the fact that many legends were associated with this genre and America has countless emotions and sentiments wrapped around it.
Coming to the musicians, there were a lot of them that enriched Jazz and defined it in a distinct manner. The names are countless and if you wonder who tops the list, the answer is hazy. There were band leaders, solo artists, vocalists, and various instrumentalists who made significant contributions to Jazz. Choosing a single person is difficult but in this article, we will discuss the life and legacy of Benny Goodman, a virtuoso clarinetist. The pieces of information have been collated from Swing Street Radio, a reputed Swing music radio station in the USA.
Who was Benny Goodman?
Benny was an influential bandleader of the Swing era. Born as Benjamin David Goodman, the clarinetist claimed the title "King of Swing" during his lifetime of 77 years, stretching from 30th May 1909 to 13th June 1986. The Chicago-born virtuoso led one of the most influential bands in the mid-1930s. Bruce Eder hailed his concert at Carnegie Hall as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's 'coming out' party to the world of 'respectable' music."
Goodman was born to a poor couple and was raised in a large family where he had 11 siblings. Dealing with poverty since childhood, Benny found his escape in music. He once said in an interview in 1975: "Playing music was a great escape for me from the poverty."
Benny got introduced to live music at a very young age. His father, David Goodman used to take the children to free concerts where the bands played live. His exposure to music did not stop there as David enrolled the 10-year-old Benny in music lessons at the Kehelah Jacob Synagogue. Following that, the then-teenager took lessons from Franz Schoepp, a classical clarinetist.
Getting influenced by some of the Jazz clarinetists like Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, and more, Goodman grasped serious skills at a tender age.
Swing & Goodman:
Benny Goodman debuted his professional career in the year 1921 followed by a series of performances with different bands. Five years later, Goodman stepped inside the studio for his first ever recording with the Ben Pollack Orchestra. His recordings are still enjoyed and can be heard on Swing radio station.
To pursue a career as a musician, Benny moved to New York City and started playing in studios, Broadway musicals and radio as a session musician. In a breakthrough recording session, Benny played along with other big names in Swing Jazz music like Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Joe Venuti on 21st March 1928.
He tasted success for the first time when his single “He’s Not Worth Your Tears” hit the charts. The track featured Scrappy Lambert on vocals, which you can still listen on the Swing Street Radio. Later on, he signed with Columbia in the year 1934 which resulted in back-to-back hits like “I Ain’t Lazy”, “Ol’ Pappy”, “Riffin’ the Scotch”, etc.
Two years later, Benny introduced Teddy Wilson, the African-American pianist in his band. This marked a milestone in the history of Swing Jazz music. Apart from the effect it had on music, the activity greatly impacted American culture as people saw a black person playing in an all-white band for the first time.
The clarinet worked like a magic wand for Benny as every venture he went into reaped great results. In the late 1930s, Goodman was the talk of the entire Swing music space and several musicians acknowledged his works. Some of them even considered Benny to be a great inspiration for them.
Conclusion - These are some pieces of information on Benny Goodman, the King of Swing. There are several other deeds of Benny that raised the genre to what it looked and sounded prior to World War II. If you need further information and want to listen to some of the creations of Benny, tune in to Swing Street Radio.
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