Topic: BIG BANDS
Seventy years ago today a milestone in the history of jazz occurred. It may not seem like much now, but the Carnegie Hall debut of pure, unadulterated jazz was an event! Benny Goodman (just 28 at the time) was the headliner of the evening. If you listen to the recordings of this concert (which weren't discovered and commercially released until 1950) you will understand why. The man was a phenomenal musician and he surrounded himself, both in his small groups and his big band, with some of the most talented musicians in the country. At that time, Goodman's band was unsurpassed, easily the equal of Basie, Ellington, Calloway, Lunceford, Hines, the Dorseys, any one you could name. Goodman's band in 1938 would be the equivalent of say, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in 1978, in terms of popularity, impact, musical bravado, and their ability to blow the roof off. Just as Bruce and his boys were the epitome of what an American rock band should be in 1978, so were Benny and his boys the epitome of what an American swing band should be in 1938. MORE | PBS | OFFICIAL BG SITE

BUY Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall 1938

Topic: BIG BANDS
Amazon.com The soundtrack for The War, documentarian Ken Burns's 2007 PBS series on World War II, alternates between earlier, wartime, and postwar material, all designed to complement the narrative. The material was clearly selected to evoke the mood of the era: Benny Goodman's sextet tears off a hot 1942 "Wang Wang Blues," and Count Basie lets fly with "Basie Boogie" (1941) and the prewar "How Long Blues." Also evoking the war years are Bing Crosby's hit "It's Been a Long, Long Time" with the Les Paul Trio, "Solitude" (1934) by Duke Ellington's Orchestra, and Kay Starr's "If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight)" and the Nat "King" Cole Trio's "If You Can't Smile and Say Yes" from a wartime V-Disc. Classical numbers include Leonard Slatkin and the London Philharmonic's 1989 version of "London: The Death of Falstaff" and an excerpt of Benny Goodman, in his spare time a respected classical clarinetist, performing "Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp, and Piano" with Aaron Copland and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra in 1950. Newer recordings include Norah Jones's "American Anthem," reprised at the end by Amanda Forsyth and Bill Charlap, "Movin' Back," "Until You're in My Arms Again," and "America My Home" by Wynton Marsalis. --Rich Kienzle Product Description This stunning soundtrack recording to Ken Burns's epic series features seventeen pieces of music from the film. It includes war-era favorites from Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Bing Crosby, and Nat 'King' Cole as well as music from Edgar Meyer, Aaron Copland and Yo-Yo Ma. The soundtrack also features new compositions from Wynton Marsalis, and Norah Jones's breathtaking performance of "American Anthem"- exclusive to this album. The War: A Ken Burns Film

Topic: BIG BANDS

Selections from the Big Band Swing Era on CD