Benny Goodman
Biography
EDITBorn
5/30/1909 , Chicago, Ill, USABirth Name
Gender
Biography
Benjamin David ("Benny") Goodman (1909-1986)
Born and raised in Chicago, Benny Goodman was well situated for exposure to both classical music and the evolving American music form "jazz", spreading north to Chicago from New Orleans. His father, who never lived to see Benny's major success, should be credited with introducing the Goodman children to music and seeing that Benny had, as a youth, high quality musical instruction.
Benny Goodman has always been regarded as a technically gifted clarinetist whose instrumental abilities were on a par with the most accomplished classical clarinetists in the world. If there were ever any criticism of his classical playing, it was never for being too jazzy, to relaxed or sloppy or in any way "technically" deficient. Rather, it was actually for not being expressive enough—being too serious, maybe.
Benny Goodman joined the musician's union to play professionally when he was 13 (1922), joined Ben Pollack's orchestra to work with it in California when he was 16 (1925), played with Red Nichols (1929-30), and was among the busiest of "studio" musicians (1930-34). He formed his first regular orchestra at age 25 and had a national radio spot at 26. He turned Carnegie Hall "on its 'classical' ear" with his historic Swing Concert there in 1938. That concert and many other aspects of his music can be credited with the introduction of high quality jazz music to the upper-middle and upper classes in America.
Goodman is probably not so well known to most of you as Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington, with their numerous phenomenal hits like "In the Mood" and "Take the A Train", etc. However, Goodman's role and overall importance in the history of jazz are certainly greater than those of Glenn Miller and rank with the "Duke's". Benny Goodman's innovation and success paved the way for those figures and facilitated the acceptance of their styles. Similarly Benny broke ground for others like Count Basie, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman, the Elgarts, and even Stan Kenton. Goodman's success derived from a combination of great musicianship, personal leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, determination, and hard work. His story is in many ways that of the American Dream--poor immigrant's offspring makes good against difficult odds, with his own efforts and the opportunities in this land.
What Benny Goodman actually did, which was new and significant, was to create a style of tightly arranged "swing" jazz music for the now traditional dance-band size ensemble, with a great dancing and listening "beat". His was music played by exceptionally talented musicians, adding brilliant, improvised phrases and full solos. This was a style quite different from the smaller, less structured and less arranged "traditional" groups, spreading out from New Orleans and other ports along the Mississippi. These had already had their influence on the Chicago jazz style, and at that time were exemplified by performers such as Louis Armstrong. As well, Benny's innovation was substantially different from the other "jazz" of the day-- more the "listening" styles of Ben Pollack and Paul Whiteman--music that today we would probably not identify as jazz, not thinking of it as "swinging" or particularly "jazzy".
In today's politically "correct" environment, but more importantly, in consideration of some of the negative side of our history, one should know that Goodman was important also for taking, at the time, a personally very risky step--integrating the live, public performance of music. There had been racial integration in the recording studios, but not in public. To him music was music, and good music was what his life was about. When he met the African American jazz piano great Teddy Wilson and also later with Lionel Hampton, expanding his trio to quartet, there simply was no way in his mind that they were not going to perform together in public. With the mention of Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton we have another of Mr. Goodman's contributions, his discovery and development of great talent, including other jazz greats such as Harry James and Gene Krupa.
All was not wonderful for Benny over the years. As an orthopaedic surgeon I can appreciate the background of one of his great tunes "Slipped Disc". He was a patient several times at the Mayo Clinic and many times performed under fairly strenuous circumstances with his back trouble.
At any time you should feel invited not only to sit back and listen to the music of Benny Goodman but also to get out onto adance floor and to do what it was intended for. Know that many of his original tunes and arrangements are among the most significant in jazz and American popular music. Understand their and Benny's place in the history of what is said to be the only original and true American art form--jazz music.
Kenneth A. Krackow, MD '71 BGF* '57
Clinical Director, Orthopaedic Surgery
KALEIDA Health, Buffalo, New York, USA
*Benny Goodman Fan
Born and raised in Chicago, Benny Goodman was well situated for exposure to both classical music and the evolving American music form "jazz", spreading north to Chicago from New Orleans. His father, who never lived to see Benny's major success, should be credited with introducing the Goodman children to music and seeing that Benny had, as a youth, high quality musical instruction.
Benny Goodman has always been regarded as a technically gifted clarinetist whose instrumental abilities were on a par with the most accomplished classical clarinetists in the world. If there were ever any criticism of his classical playing, it was never for being too jazzy, to relaxed or sloppy or in any way "technically" deficient. Rather, it was actually for not being expressive enough—being too serious, maybe.
Benny Goodman joined the musician's union to play professionally when he was 13 (1922), joined Ben Pollack's orchestra to work with it in California when he was 16 (1925), played with Red Nichols (1929-30), and was among the busiest of "studio" musicians (1930-34). He formed his first regular orchestra at age 25 and had a national radio spot at 26. He turned Carnegie Hall "on its 'classical' ear" with his historic Swing Concert there in 1938. That concert and many other aspects of his music can be credited with the introduction of high quality jazz music to the upper-middle and upper classes in America.
Goodman is probably not so well known to most of you as Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington, with their numerous phenomenal hits like "In the Mood" and "Take the A Train", etc. However, Goodman's role and overall importance in the history of jazz are certainly greater than those of Glenn Miller and rank with the "Duke's". Benny Goodman's innovation and success paved the way for those figures and facilitated the acceptance of their styles. Similarly Benny broke ground for others like Count Basie, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman, the Elgarts, and even Stan Kenton. Goodman's success derived from a combination of great musicianship, personal leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, determination, and hard work. His story is in many ways that of the American Dream--poor immigrant's offspring makes good against difficult odds, with his own efforts and the opportunities in this land.
What Benny Goodman actually did, which was new and significant, was to create a style of tightly arranged "swing" jazz music for the now traditional dance-band size ensemble, with a great dancing and listening "beat". His was music played by exceptionally talented musicians, adding brilliant, improvised phrases and full solos. This was a style quite different from the smaller, less structured and less arranged "traditional" groups, spreading out from New Orleans and other ports along the Mississippi. These had already had their influence on the Chicago jazz style, and at that time were exemplified by performers such as Louis Armstrong. As well, Benny's innovation was substantially different from the other "jazz" of the day-- more the "listening" styles of Ben Pollack and Paul Whiteman--music that today we would probably not identify as jazz, not thinking of it as "swinging" or particularly "jazzy".
In today's politically "correct" environment, but more importantly, in consideration of some of the negative side of our history, one should know that Goodman was important also for taking, at the time, a personally very risky step--integrating the live, public performance of music. There had been racial integration in the recording studios, but not in public. To him music was music, and good music was what his life was about. When he met the African American jazz piano great Teddy Wilson and also later with Lionel Hampton, expanding his trio to quartet, there simply was no way in his mind that they were not going to perform together in public. With the mention of Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton we have another of Mr. Goodman's contributions, his discovery and development of great talent, including other jazz greats such as Harry James and Gene Krupa.
All was not wonderful for Benny over the years. As an orthopaedic surgeon I can appreciate the background of one of his great tunes "Slipped Disc". He was a patient several times at the Mayo Clinic and many times performed under fairly strenuous circumstances with his back trouble.
At any time you should feel invited not only to sit back and listen to the music of Benny Goodman but also to get out onto adance floor and to do what it was intended for. Know that many of his original tunes and arrangements are among the most significant in jazz and American popular music. Understand their and Benny's place in the history of what is said to be the only original and true American art form--jazz music.
Kenneth A. Krackow, MD '71 BGF* '57
Clinical Director, Orthopaedic Surgery
KALEIDA Health, Buffalo, New York, USA
*Benny Goodman Fan
