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.
Easy To Love
Benny Goodman Lyrics
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In thinking such a thing could be
That you could ever care for me
I'm sure you hate to hear
That I adore you, dear
But grant me
Just the same
For love
You'd be so easy to love
So easy to idolize
All others above
So worth the yearning for
So swell to keep every home fire burning for
We'd be so grand at the game
So carefree together
That it does seem a shame
That you can't see
Your future with me
Cause you'd be oh, so easy to love
In these poignant and introspective lyrics from Benny Goodman's song "Easy To Love," the singer expresses a sense of self-awareness and resignation in their unrequited love. The opening lines convey a deep understanding of the futility of their feelings, acknowledging that they are "wasting precious time" by hoping for reciprocity in their affections. The singer is painfully aware that the object of their affection may never feel the same way, leading to a sense of helplessness and longing.
Despite the awareness of the unlikelihood of their love being returned, the singer cannot help but express their adoration for the person they desire. They confess their feelings openly, even though they suspect that the recipient may not welcome such declarations. The internal conflict between the desire to express love and the fear of rejection is palpable in these lines, as the singer grapples with their own vulnerability and the potential for heartbreak.
The lyrics then take a turn towards self-reflection as the singer somewhat defensively asserts that they are "not entirely to blame" for feeling love. This acknowledgment hints at a sense of inevitability in their emotions, as though they have little control over who they fall for. The singer seems to be grappling with the complexity of love and the way it can overpower rational thought or practical considerations.
In the final stanza, the singer wistfully imagines a life with the object of their affection, painting a picture of a harmonious and fulfilling union. They describe a potential future filled with mutual adoration and shared happiness, lamenting the fact that their love may never be realized. The repeated refrain of "you'd be oh, so easy to love" underscores the simplicity and desirability of the imagined relationship, highlighting the regret and longing that infuse the singer's musings. Overall, these lyrics eloquently capture the bittersweet nature of unrequited love and the poignant yearning for a connection that may never come to fruition.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
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