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G. This album certainly represents the best of Benny Goodman's big band and small group recordings at the height of Benny's popularity, and it would make a nice complement to "The Very Best of Artie Shaw," which is in the same series of anthologies released by RCA. Not only is much of his later work represented on commercial recordings, but his playing from the 1920s--with Ted Pollard and other groups as well as his own--is also available. (Despite the apparent professorial reserve, Benny frequently played with unmitigated, contagious heat and passion).It's unfortunate that Benny--even more than once-towering giants like Crosby and Armstrong--seems to be slipping so alarmingly fast from public memory.
Listen closely to him, or watch videos of him when he gets his groove on, practically oblivious to the crowd. Even the "burr," or raspy effect, in his tone is not unlike hearing early great New Orleans clarinetists like Johnny Dodds, Jimmy Noone, Sidney Bechet, and Edmund Hall. On Benny's behalf, he was the more flexible and adaptable musician, able to move from a pure-toned player of the classical repertory to a meditative balladeer ("Goodbye," "Moonglow," "Memories of You") to fast and intricate "chamber jazz" to the hot, sizzling, raw style of playing that had made its way up from New Orleans to his native Chicago. Shaw, moreover, was at once a better showman and "potential" modernist--he evidenced an ear for bebop, as played by Bird and Diz, and began to move in that direction before abruptly abandoning his instrument (and music).
1909).The point is that most of these "essential," "indispensable," "ultimate" single-disc collections do Benny somewhat of an injustice by the impossibility of representing the sheer prolific and comprehensive genius of the man. It was little short of miraculous that the entire 1938 concert was recorded a full seven years before recording tape (or wire) had been introduced into the U.S., and it would be Benny who, beginning in the 1950s, was among the first instrumentalists to exploit and popularize the 33-rpm long-playing record format.As for the irresistible, always engaging Goodman-Shaw comparisons, Shaw holds the record for the number of big bands (5) and wives (I lost count), and his version of "Stardust" beats Benny's. But unlike Shaw, who put away his clarinet for the final four decades of his life, Goodman kept playing, right up to the few months preceding his death at the age of 77. in Hi Fi" from the mid-fifties.
For a second album, try to pick up a copy of "B. Moreover, the Yale Archives is at this moment making available many of the heretofore unreleased recordings from his private collection (it's high time, considering we are well into the centenary of the King of Swing, b. To my mind, the buyer would do better by picking up the Complete Carnegie Hall Concert from 1938 (unquestionably the most historic concert event in the history of jazz and American music for several reasons; in fact, it easily rivals in substance and iconography the celebrated concerts by Marion Anderson).
Benny Goodman was one of the best of the best during this era. It has the song "Sing, Sing, Sing" with drummer Gene Krupa, it also has many others and is the best CD for the price. If you enjoy Big Band you will love this CD. I had given one of my Benny Goodman CD's away to a clarinet player and was desperately searching for a CD to replace it. This has all of the songs that many enjoyed during the Big Band era.
Just to warn you. It is just not one without "Don't Be That Way", "Loch Lomond", "Goodnight My Love", "Goodbye", "Down South Camp Meeting", "Changes" and "Body & Soul". I must warn you up front: tracks 2,10,11,15,16,17 and 18 are ALTERNATE TAKES, not the masters you are probably use to. The transfers are fine but the song selection is missing a bunch of songs that I would consider essential to a "Very Best" collection of Benny's RCA period. I would say go with "Pure Gold" or "Sing, Sing, Sing" instead. And it is NOT advertised on the package. So if you know these songs by heart, you will either be pleased to have them or very annoyed.
No omne has ever come cliose to Benny Goodman playing the clarinet. Most talent heard in one group---ever. To appreciate this one has to have danced to this orchectra. Been there and done that.
Goodman was. What a great instrumentalist Mr. This is a terrific collection of his best songs. I was a young teenager during Benny Goodman's era. My father loved the music and we listened to it frequently.
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