Benny Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the “King of Swing”. His orchestra did phenomenally well commercially.
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16, 1938, 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.”
He became famous for his exceptional clarinet skills and was a key figure in the integration of jazz. Goodman’s orchestra was one of the first to feature both Black and White musicians, breaking racial barriers in the music industry. His 1938 Carnegie Hall concert is considered one of the most important events in jazz history, helping to elevate jazz to a more respected and mainstream genre.
Some of his most well-known pieces include “Sing, Sing, Sing,” “One O’Clock Jump,” and “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” Goodman’s style combined virtuosic technique with swing rhythms, and his influence on both jazz and popular music is still felt today.
On July 31, 1935, “King Porter Stomp” was released with “Sometimes I’m Happy” on the B-side, both arranged by Henderson and recorded on July 1. In Pittsburgh at the Stanley Theater some members of the audience danced in the aisles. But these arrangements had little impact on the tour until August 19 at McFadden’s Ballroom in Oakland, California. Goodman and his band, which included trumpeter Bunny Berigan, drummer Gene Krupa, and singer Helen Ward were met by a large crowd of young dancers who cheered the music they had heard on Let’s Dance. Herb Caen wrote, “from the first note, the place was in an uproar.” One night later, at Pismo Beach, the show was a flop, and the band thought the overwhelming reception in Oakland had been a fluke.
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’s records on KFWB radio. Goodman started the evening with stock arrangements, but after an indifferent response, he began the second set with 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.” The crowd broke into cheers and applause. News reports spread word of the exciting music and enthusiastic dancing. The Palomar engagement was such a marked success that it is often described as the beginning of the swing era. According to Donald Clarke, “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.” YouTube Link: “Sing Sing Sing”