Artist Lounge: Benny Goodman Sextet
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"Stepping High," one of the early film musicals, contained the song "I’ll Always Be in Love with You" which was written in 1929 by Bud Green, Herman Ruby and Sam H. Stept. The personnel of this recording stems from a October 22, 1946 session in Hollywood where Benny Goodman and his band were heard weekly on NBC radio's "Victor Borge Show." This side was unreleased until recently. Johnny White is heard on vibes, Joe Bushkin on piano, Barney Kessel on guitar, Harry Babasin o... MORE
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Fats Waller and Andy Razaf wrote "Honeysuckle Rose" for their stage musical "Load of Coal" in 1929. It became an instant hit and has gone on to become a much loved standard. In his last recording for Columbia Records on October 22, 1946, Benny Goodman sets a jaunty yet swinging tempo with plenty of support from his group members. Joe Bushkin contributes a facile piano solo before Barney Kessel plays a melodious chorus on his guitar. Johnny White jumps in with a swinging so... MORE
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"My Daddy Rocks Me" is a very misleading title. First of all, no need to fear as Goodman only plays jazz. Secondly, this was never released until recently. Odd that this should be so as it was recorded on September 24, 1945! It’s a blues number taken at a slow tempo that still swings. Slam Stewart gets the first solo that digs down deep for the blues and comes up with an ingratiating solo. Mel Powell plays magnificently on this recording, giving an almost dainty interpreta... MORE
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Actor and singer Art Lund joins the Goodman Sextet on this March 8, 1946 recording of "Don’t Be a Baby, Baby." It’s a relaxed backing which suits Lund’s expertly phrased if bland sounding rendition. Lund had just rejoined the Goodman band with this recording then went on to an acting career. The instrumental break is based around Goodman’s clarinet and is very discreetly handled by the rest of the sextet.
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Dick Winfree and Phil Boutelje wrote the song "China Boy" in 1922. It was repeated in the Universal Pictures biography film "The Benny Goodman Story" in 1956 starring Steve Allen as Goodman. Here we have the real item, Benny Goodman, playing "China Boy" with his sextet. Goodman leads off at a brisk tempo for this longtime favorite leading into a facile performance by pianist Mel Powell. Slam Stewart comes in with his enthusiastic singing and bowing performance. Goodman the... MORE
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It’s rainy out here, the skies are dark and a mood of depression is setting in. There is no better cure for the blues than listening to this marvelous cd. Benny Goodman was always an experimenter in jazz, popularizing the big band concept when it came to swinging music, letting the serious public in on th delights of jazz by playing Carnegie Hall in 1938, then shifting gears to play serious music for clarinet. Goodman’s biggest innovation came with the formation of a small... MORE
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"Shine," written in 1924 by Cecil Mack and Lew Brown (words) and Ford Dabney (music) for their stage musical for the Ziegfield Follies, was a great favorite from the beginning with jazz musicians the world over. For this performance of August 29, 1945, the setting is a very medium tempo one with Goodman leading the way with Mel Powell making his first recorded appearance on a recording with Goodman. His style is wide ranging in its harmonics but still very much in the Tedd... MORE
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Here is a contest well worth taking! On September 18, 1945, the Benny Goodman Sextet recorded two different versions of George and Ira Gershwin’s 1930 song "I Got Rhythm." I want all of the readers of this blog to tell which of these two recordings is the best! Here is the 10 inch 78 rpm version. In my opinion, the 10 inch version sounds a bit rushed and blurred. It breezes in at 2:46!
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"Ain’t Misbehavin’" came upon the heels of the Great Depression in 1929. Written by Andy Razaf (words) and "Fats" Waller and Harry Brooks for their musical "Hot Chocolates," this song has been a perennial favorite of many years standing, becoming George Burns’ theme song in his years following the death of his beloved wife Gracie Allen. Benny Goodman sets the relaxed tempo for this performance. Red Norvo gets the first solo, rippling along on the vibes. Mel Powell plays a... MORE
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"Rachel’s Dream" was written way before Rachel Maddow was born. However, she deserves some kind of applause for trying out a show on MSNBC . Back to Benny Goodman! This performance of "Rachel’s Dream" was recorded with his Sextet on May 7, 1945. The post World War 2 era was full of optimism about the future. This is a powerfully cheerful number–apparently the lady of the title is quite a character! Benny plays a rippling solo on his clarinet which is marked by great facili... MORE
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And now, from the same record date, here is the 12 inch 78 rpm version. Just a hair under the overly rushed 10 incher version, this one still has magnificent solos by Red Norvo whose solo is lengthy and Slam Stewart hums and buzzes around on his double bass. Mel Powell sounds more comfortable with this version. Goodman’s performance is a shade cooler than the 10 incher version but is still facile and nimble, sounding more in tune with the jam session aspect of these record... MORE
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Cole Porter wrote "Jubilee" in 1935 for the stage and out of this play came "Just One Of Those Things," a wistful song about what went wrong with a relationship while maintaining a philosophy of moving on from a personal tragedy. Goodman starts straightaway with his rhythmic solo that perfectly reflects on the sadness yet the forward look of the lyrics. Teddy Wilson comes in with a solo that echoes Goodman’s solo while Slam Stewart bows and hums a bitterly blues inflected ... MORE
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Less than a week after recording "I Got Rhythm," on September 24, 1945, the Benny Goodman Sextet recorded another tune by George and Ira Gershwin (with Gus Kahn), "Liza." Slam Stewart sits out and we have a return to the original Goodman quartet sound of the mid 1930's. Goodman leads off with a wonderfully mellow approach to this song taken at a lightly swinging tempo. Mel Powell plays a brief solo before Goodman returns with another fine rendition. Red Norvo returns for a... MORE
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"Oomph Fah Fah" is another original exploring the deepest reaches of the double bass. Slam Stewart is in his element here with a marvelously humorous solo complete with his vocalizing against his bowing on the bass. The tune itself is given a sharply articulated yet sweetly swinging rendition by the Goodman group complete with a great Red Norvo solo near the end. Goodman is also quite effervescent in a performance full of fun and whimsy.
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"Tiger Rag" dates back to 1917 and the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the first combo to exploit the lively music coming out of New Orleans. Goodman sets the tempo at a break neck speed with the ensemble bouncing along behind him. There are times for brief little breaks from Wilson on piano and Norvo on vibes. This is all-Benny, showing his great technique. Teddy Wilson gets the first extended solo, playing a crisply swinging solo before Slam Stewart comes on board with a g... MORE
