Goodman was regarded by some as a demanding taskmaster, by others an arrogant and eccentric martinet. Many musicians spoke of The Ray, Goodman's trademark glare that he bestowed on a musician who failed to perform to his demanding standards. Anita O'Day and Helen Forrest spoke bitterly of their experiences singing with Goodman. "The twenty or so months I spent with Benny felt like twenty years," said Forrest. "When I look back, they seem like a life sentence." He could also be incredibly self-absorbed; it is reported that when eating an egg onto which a ketchup bottle cap had fallen, Goodman simply ate around it. At the same time, there are reports that he privately funded several college educations and was sometimes very generous, though always secretly. When a friend asked him why one time, he reportedly said, "Well, if they knew about it, everyone would come to me with their hand out."
Some suggest that Elvis Presley had the same success with rock and roll that Goodman achieved with jazz and swing. Without Goodman there would not have been a swing era. It is true that many of Goodman's arrangements had been played for years before by Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. While Goodman publicly acknowledged his debt to Henderson, many young white swing fans had never heard Henderson's band. While most consider Goodman a jazz innovator, others maintain his main strength was his perfectionism and drive. Goodman was a non - pariel virtuoso clarinetist and -along with only Artie Shaw, amongst the most technically proficient jazz clarinetists of all time.
Goodman is also responsible for a significant step in racial integration in America. In the early 1930s, black and white jazz musicians could not play together in most clubs or concerts. In the Southern states, racial segregation was enforced by the Jim Crow laws. Benny Goodman broke with tradition by hiring Teddy Wilson to play with him ] in the Autumn of 1936. He then added Lionel Hampton on vibes in December, 1936, and in the early Summer of 1939 he augmented the famous "quartette" with pioneering jazz guitarist Charlie Christian to his band and small ensembles, who played with him until his untimely death from tuberculosis less than three years later. To give an understanding of American history at this time, Goodman's integration of popular music happened ten years before Jackie Robinson entered Major League Baseball. "[Goodman's] popularity was such that he could remain financially viable without touring the South, where he would have been subject to arrest for violating Jim Crow laws." By the mid- Summer of 1941, Benny had hired the incomparably rhythmic and show-man drummer, legendary "Big Sid" Catlett, the (later) famous John Simmons on bass, and still possessed the incomparable Charlie Christian on electric guitar -plus Cootie Williams was in the middle of his one-year contract... This amounted to virtually one-quarter of the orchestra of black heritage, but of course -following Jimmy Munday and Fletcher Henderson (who also joined the band as pianist for 6 months in July, 1939) it was really an orchestrated white extension of black big band jazz -only, curiously -better.
Blue Moon
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold!
Blue moon!
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Benny Goodman's song "Blue Moon" is a love song with a poignantly lonely feel to it, using the metaphor of a blue moon to evoke a sense of unrequited love. The opening line "Blue moon you saw me standing alone" reveals the melancholic state of the singer, standing alone without a partner or any dream of love. The repeated phrase "without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own" underscores this feeling of emptiness and loneliness.
As the song progresses, the singer addresses the moon, personified as a knowing presence that understands his feelings and desires. He prays for someone to love, and the moon seems to answer his prayers by bringing the object of his affection into his life. As the song climaxes, the moon turns gold, symbolizing the fulfillment of the singer's wish. The final refrain of "blue moon, now I'm no longer alone, without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own" brings the song full circle, with the blue moon now representing the singer's newfound hope and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue moon you saw me standing alone
The rare occasion when someone happened to see me alone
Without a dream in my heart
I had lost hope and didn't have any aspirations
Without a love of my own
I had no one to love or who loved me back
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
The blue moon was aware of my presence and purpose
You heard me saying a prayer for
The moon was attentive to the prayer I made
Someone I really could care for
I was yearning for someone who mattered to me deeply
And then there suddenly appeared before me
Unexpectedly, someone showed up in front of me
The only one my arms will ever hold
The one whom I desired to embrace forever
I heard somebody whisper "Please adore me"
Someone requested to be loved and cherished
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold!
The moment was so magical that even the moon appeared to have transformed into gold
Blue moon!
The blue moon was the catalyst and inspiration for a beautiful moment
Now I'm no longer alone
My loneliness disappeared
Without a dream in my heart
I regained faith and aspirations in life
Without a love of my own
I finally found someone to love and who loved me back
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Trombonology
In this early, pre-Palomar Ballroom engagement, pre-official Swing Era launch period, the Goodman band was still pretty sedate on ballads, still tinkering to develop the sound that became instantly recognizable, but nevertheless, the fledgling orchestra manages an atmospherically attractive, if somewhat restrained, treatment of this great one. Helen Ward, always a superb interpreter, is marvelous. Interestingly, the leader only peeks in, on two scant bars, after the vocal chorus, while the excellent trombonist, Jack Lacey, opens and closes the record with a reed vamp behind him.
@brucemercer8458
I saw 'Manhatten Melodrama' a 1934 Gable, Loy and Wm. Powell movie where one of the other sets of lyrics is performed. I thought I was in
a parallel universe because I knew the tune so well. I didn't think of what it was until after bed so I was up at 1:00 double checking. Easy to see why these lyrics were settled on. Thank you.
@LarsCarlsen-or6ky
Perhaps John dillinger's last film...
@phredl
Very nice. But the Casa Loma is my favorite.
@DijinDThomas
Who searched this song after reading about this song in "Book Woman of Troublesome creek" ?
@Rayo_Rob_No.17
A lovely treatment, IMO. I love the '34-'35 Goodman Columbia Royal Blue sides, these are young, and not what it became but, still a special sound.
@hugoaguilera311
❤❤❤❤❤
@weinerexplosion
Oh, the monotonous langour, a life well lived, love made all the difference
@bloodshotred6334
This lowkey needs a lofi remix
@Radio_Broadcaster_prof
This lowkey doesn’t