I am sitting in my small but pleasant home in Haifa Israel. My home is located in the 'Mercaz' or center neighborhood of the city. The beautiful Baha'i Gardens are located a few hundred meters from my house. The gardens overlook the Haifa port laden with commercial and passenger ships and supposedly enough energy to make us fabulously wealthy in twenty years. Many of our museums and the city Zoo are in this upscale community. There is plenty of 'keff' or entertainment to enjoy within a close walking distance of my abode.
Savoring Jazz especially from the big band era is still my favorite way to enjoy my leisure time. Bix is most probably my favorite jazz legend. Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornet genius, jazz pianist, and composer. Sadly, there is a very limited number of his recordings due to the age of his death and the era in which he played. How do you describe Louis Armstrong or fail to love the piano and raspy voice of Fats Waller?. Lester Young was a wizard on the saxophone. I have several of his recordings. They were many incredible artists in that era. However, I have come to understand why Benny Goodman was “The king of Swing”. My collection of discs is becoming dominated by the great clarinet virtuoso.
Benjamin David "Benny" Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; known as the "King of Swing".
Goodman's bands launched the careers of many major names in jazz, and during an era of segregation, also led one of the first well-known racially integrated jazz groups. Pianist Teddy Wilson and Vibraphone legend Lionel Hampton found fame with Benny. Goodman was a classical music performer as well. His background from his poor Jewish working class family made him a staunch supporter of talent over ethnicity. Many of the early Jazz greats came from Jewish backgrounds or were people of color. Other careers were often limited or denied from them.
Goodman was born in Chicago, one of twelve children. He came from a poor Russian Jewish immigrant background. His father was a working-class immigrant who shoveled manure in the famous windy city stockyards. His family, as did mine, came to America in that era from Europe to escape the strident antisemitism that was so prevalent and enjoy the economic opportunities in the States.
When Benny was 10, he started studying music at a local synagogue. He was trained in both popular and classical music. His early jazz influences were New Orleans jazz clarinetists working in Chicago, notably Johnny Dodds, and Jimmy Noone. He came to predominance at a young age. When Goodman was 14, he was already in a band that featured the legendary Bix Beiderbecke. At the age of 16, he joined one of Chicago's top bands, the Ben Pollack Orchestra, with which he made his first recordings in 1926. Ben Pollack (June 22, 1903 - June 7, 1971) was an American drummer and bandleader from the mid-1920s through the swing era.
His eye for talent led him to either discover or employ, at one time or another, musicians such as Benny, Jack Teagarden, Glenn Miller, and Harry James. This ability earned him the nickname "Father of Swing". Goodman left for New York City and became a successful band leader and recording artist. The Taft hotel was a family favorite when we visited the Big Apple during my youth. It was one of the early hot spots for big band and jazz in New York hosting such greats as Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey. We enjoyed listening to the fabulous Vincent Lopez Orchestra in the historic ball room.
During this period he met promoter John Hammond who 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. He made many classic recordings with many known performers.They included the first two recorded vocals by a young Billie Holiday. Goodman did recordings with the great Coleman Hawkins. For fans of the jazz saxophone his music is a must. I have many of the "Beans" recordings which are among the earliest Jazz sax legends.
In July 1935, a record of the Goodman band playing the Henderson arrangements of "King Porter Stomp" backed with "Sometimes I'm Happy" had been released to ecstatic reviewers in both Down Beat and Melody Maker Magazines. Reports were that in my home town of Pittsburgh at the Stanley Theater some of the kids danced in the aisles. The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts is a theater and concert hall located at 719 Liberty Avenue in the Cultural District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Designed by Philadelphia's architectural firm Hoffman-Henon. It was built in 1928 as The Stanley Theatre. The former movie palace was renovated and reopened as The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in 1987. In the days of my youth Shady Side had some recognition as a jazz center.
August 21, 1935 at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles, Goodman and his band began a three-week engagement. Musical history was made that evening. 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. 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, and radio broadcasts carried the band's performances across the nation.
The Palomar engagement was such a marked success it is often described as the beginning of the Swing Era. Goodman went on to an illustrious career as a solo performer, band leader, and composer in both jazz and classical music. Benny played almost until his death in 1986. He became a highly respected classical performer. 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 critics as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's 'coming out' party to the world of 'respectable' music." The roots of this great American contribution to the world lay in New Orleans but Chicago by the era of Goodman became a center for this music as well. The soundtrack of that historic event is still recording and is one of my favorites.
The big band era faded to a great extent in the World War II years. Vocalists began to strike out on their own and by the end of the war, Swing was giving way to less dance able music.
As jazz evolved and expanded in new directions, major band performances of note did occur from the 1950s to the 1970s including performers such as Dizzy Gillespie, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich. John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer and occasional singer. His legendary piece 'A Night in Tunisia' is one of my favorite jazz trumpet performances.
Goodman was regarded by some as a demanding taskmaster. Many musicians spoke of Goodman's trademark glare that he bestowed on a musician who failed to perform to his demanding standards. He was hardest on himself as are most great performers. I just read a biography about Jazz dancer Fred Astaire. Astaire performed in the same era as Benny. He often practiced his dance steps to the point that his feet bled. His partners held in great respect but also felt intimidated by his need for perfection.
One of Benny Goodman's closest friends off and on, from the 1930s onward, was celebrated Columbia records producer John H. Hammond. He was Benny's mentor in the recording world. Goodman married Hammond's sister Alice in 1942. They had two daughters, neither of whom gained musical fame.
I was blessed that my mom and dad were raising me during the era of Swing. Our greatest joys together came as the result of listening to swing era music and enjoying my feeble attempts to learn to jitterbug. Hopefully, some of the readers will be prompted to enjoy America's wonderful cultural gift to us all.
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