Benny Goodman, New York City, Photo: The Library of Congress. His passion was music and his big band sound quickened the pulse of a generation ready to shrug off the Depression and dance. Goodman led jazz into the commercial mainstream and brought with him an extraordinary group of gifted and original musicians.
Band members Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton were some of the first to break the big band color barrier. It could have been a far different life, had destiny not intervened. He studied the clarinet with Franz Schoepp who was a member of the Chicago Symphony. At Hull-House, a settlement house that provided social services to the community, Goodman joined the band there.
He quickly excelled at his instrument and made his professional debut in Playing with local bands, Goodman became a member of the American Federation of Musicians at the age of He then abandoned his education to pursue his musical ambitions.
He stayed with the band for several years, eventually becoming one of its leading soloists. In , Goodman released his first album, A Jazz Holiday. He then left the band and moved to New York City the following year. Goodman found work playing on the radio, in recording sessions, and in the orchestras of Broadway shows.
Goodman teamed up with jazz promoter John Hammond in to make some recordings, including a few tracks with an up-and-coming jazz singer named Billie Holiday. Their work together resulted in the top 10 hit "Riffin' the Scotch. Starting his career as a bandleader in , Goodman and his group landed a gig at Billy Rose's Music Hall. Clearly a musician and bandleader on the rise, Goodman had his first number one hit with the instrumental piece "Moonglow.
Lionel Hampton was added later. One date on the tour made history: August 21, That night, the orchestra wowed the audience at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles—an event that many cite as the beginning of the swing era. Goodman also helped break down the color barrier in music at the time by having one of the first integrated bands.
New York: Norton, Goodman, Benny. Benny, King of Swing. New York: W. Morrow, Toggle navigation. The turning point In , armed with songs developed by some of the great African American arrangers, Goodman's band traveled the country to play their music.
Goodman the person Two of the finest musicians ever to work with Goodman were pianist Teddy Wilson — and vibraphonist-drummer Lionel Hampton — Later years After the clarinet was pushed into a minor role in bebop music, the new style of jazz that was becoming popular.
User Contributions:. Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: Name:. E-mail: Show my email publicly. Human Verification:. Public Comment: characters. Send comment. Other articles you might like:. He became a strong clarinet player at an early age, and began playing professionally in bands while still wearing 'in short pants'. Goodman joined one of Chicago's top bands, the Ben Pollack Orchestra, at the age of 16, He made his first recordings with them in He started making records under his own name two years later.
Goodman left for New York City. He became a good session musician during the late s and early s. He was known as a solid player because he was prepared and reliable. Then he formed his own band in In , he tried out for the "Let's Dance" radio program. Since he needed new charts every week for the show, his friend John Hammond suggested that he buy some jazz charts from Fletcher Henderson , who had New York's most popular African-American band in the s and early s.
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