Goodman

Benny Goodman was essentially the pioneer of swing. The jazz clarinetist and bandleader re-wrote the book on jazz music by speeding up the tempo and placing accents and emphasis on notes between the beats, earning him the nickname “the King of Swing”. Not only was he a world-class clarinetist, responsible for reviving the popularity of the instrument, but also an excellent arranger and composer. He was one of the first bandleaders to break the color barrier by hiring black musicians.

Benny was born Benny David Goodman in 1909. He was raised in the poverty of a Jewish ghetto in Chicago, growing up with the sounds of New Orleans jazz greats like King Oliver, Freddie Keppard, and Louis Armstrong in his home. Benny began playing the clarinet at the age of twelve, and formed his first band at the age of sixteen, “The Benny Goodman Trio”, which became one of the very first interracial jazz ensembles. He went on to play with many groups, including “Doc Cook and His Dreamland Orchestra”.

However, by 1934, it was time for a change. That year, he put together his own big band. Using the compositions and arrangements of fellow swing pioneer Fletcher Henderson, he almost single-handedly gave birth to the “swing era” of the thirties and forties. He would go on to spread his music to all corners of the globe, travelling to places such as the Soviet Union, Europe, and the Far East, playing both jazz and classical music along the way.

Aside from his success in music, Goodman was also a superstar personality, if not to his co-workers, to the American public, receiving roles in films, and radio and television programs. He also made the clarinet one of the most popular instruments to play after it had been nearly absent in music since ragtime. Goodman died in 1986.