Benny Goodman, known as the "King of Swing," was a clarinet virtuoso and bandleader who became one of the most prominent figures of the swing era in the 1930s. Born Benjamin David Goodman on May 30, 1909, in Chicago, Illinois, he showed prodigious musical talent from a young age. He joined the musicians' union at just 14 and quickly gained recognition for his exceptional skill on the clarinet. As a bandleader, he achieved nationwide fame with his NBC radio show "Let's Dance" and is renowned for his landmark concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938, which is often referred to as the moment when swing music became mainstream.

Goodman's career spanned over five decades, during which he played with and nurtured numerous jazz musicians, including Gene Krupa, Harry James, and Lionel Hampton. His ability to fuse the rhythmic drive of jazz with a level of craftsmanship that appealed to a wide audience allowed him to bridge the gap between jazz and popular music. A proponent of racial integration, he was also one of the first bandleaders to lead a racially integrated band. Benny Goodman's impact on music is not only evident through his vast discography, comprised of classics from the swing era to various live performances and remasters such as "Swing Swing Swing (Live) (Remastered)" and "The Swing Band Project, Vol.4: Benny Goodman - The Bremen 1959 Concert and Brussels 1958 (2020 Remaster)," but also through his influence on the generations of musicians that followed. Goodman's music continues to resonate, capturing the effervescent spirit of an era that forever changed the landscape of American music.

Genres

Adult Standards

Big Band

Dixieland

Jazz

Jazz Clarinet

Swing

Vintage Jazz

Vocal Jazz

Related Artists

Count Basie

Duke Ellington

Glenn Miller

Artie Shaw

Harry James

Tommy Dorsey

Lionel Hampton

Woody Herman

Louis Armstrong

Cab Calloway

Chick Webb

Jimmy Dorsey

Latest Release

Late Night Benny Goodman

Benny Goodman

Album - 22 Tracks - Released February 3, 2024