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.
Close As The Pages In a Book
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My love and I
So close, we can share a single look
Share every sigh
So close that before I hear your laugh
My laugh breaks through
And when a tear starts to appear
Our dreams won't come tumbling to the ground
We'll hold them fast
Darling as the strongest book is bound
We're bound to last
Your life is my life
And while life beats away in my heart
We'll be close as pages in a book
Never to part
Your life is my life
And while life beats away in my heart
We'll be close as pages in a book
Never to part
The lyrics of Benny Goodman and His Orchestra's song Close as Pages in a Book talk about the love of two people who are so close that they can share a single look and every sigh. They are so connected that before one laughs, the other's laughter breaks through, and when one starts to cry, the other's eyes grow misty too. They share their dreams, and they are bound together, never to part. Their lives are intertwined, and they will always be as close as the pages in a book, with their love never fading away.
The song portrays a sense of strong emotional connectivity between the two lovers. It brings out the idea that when two people are truly in love and connected on a deep level, they become almost like one entity. The lyrics draw a parallel between the two people's life and the pages of a book. The book remains intact and strong as long as its pages are held together, just like their love will endure as long as they remain together.
Line by Line Meaning
We'll be close as pages in a book
Our relationship will be as tight and interconnected as the pages in a book.
My love and I
My lover and I will be the central characters in our tightly connected relationship.
So close, we can share a single look
Our intimacy will be so strong that we can communicate with just a single glance.
Share every sigh
We will be so tuned into each other that we can share not just our words, but even our emotions.
So close that before I hear your laugh
Our bond is so strong that even before you laugh, I can sense it coming.
My laugh breaks through
And my own laughter will come out involuntarily.
And when a tear starts to appear
Similarly, when you are about to cry, I will already feel it before the tears appear.
My eyes grow misty too
This level of connection will even cause me to tear up along with you.
Our dreams won't come tumbling to the ground
Our future aspirations will not fall apart easily.
We'll hold them fast
Instead, we will fiercely hold onto our dreams and goals.
Darling as the strongest book is bound
Our bond will be unbreakable like a book that is bound tightly and securely.
We're bound to last
We will last forever, just like a well-bound book can last for many years.
Your life is my life
Our lives are so intertwined that your life is essentially mine, and vice versa.
And while life beats away in my heart
As long as I am alive, I will continue to feel this deeply connected love in my heart.
Never to part
We will never separate, no matter what life throws our way.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, SIGMUND ROMBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Cardinal Critique
Lovely! Really a great tune! Thank you for sharing!