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.
Everything I've Got
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got a gal in Kalamazoo
Don't want to boast but I know she's the toast of Kalamazoo
(Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo)
Years have gone by, my my how she grew
I liked her looks when I carried her books in Kalamazoo
(Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo)
I'm gonna send a wire, hoppin' on a flyer, leavin' today"
Am I dreamin'? I can hear her screamin'
"Hiya, Mr. Jackson"
Everything's OK, A-L-A-M-A-Z-O
Oh, what a gal, a real pipperoo
I'll make my bid for that freckle-faced kid I'm hurryin' to
I'm goin' to Michigan to see the sweetest gal in Kalamazoo
(Zoo, zoo)
(Zoo, zoo, zoo, Kalamazoo)
K (K)
A (A)
L-A-M-A-Z-O
(Oh, oh, oh, oh what a gal, a real pipperoo)
(We're goin' to Michigan to see the sweetest gal in Kalamazoo)
(Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo)
(Kalamazoo!!)
The lyrics of Benny Goodman and His Orchestra's song A Gal In Calico tell the story of a man who has a beautiful girl in Kalamazoo. He brags about her being the toast of the town and how much she has grown over the years. He reminisces about how he liked her looks when he used to carry her books back in school. Now, he is planning to visit her and cannot wait to see her again.
The song is upbeat and catchy, but it also has a nostalgic feel to it. The man is clearly in love with this girl from Kalamazoo and can't wait to be with her again. The lyrics reflect this sentiment as he talks about how she has grown and how much he adores her. The chorus repeats the name of the city, emphasizing its importance to the story and the man's love for this girl.
Overall, A Gal In Calico is a feel-good love song that captures the essence of young love and excitement that comes with being reunited with someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a gal in Kalamazoo
I am in love with a girl from Kalamazoo.
Don't want to boast but I know she's the toast of Kalamazoo (Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo)
The girl I am in love with is very popular in Kalamazoo.
Years have gone by, my my how she grew I liked her looks when I carried her books in Kalamazoo (Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo)
I have known this girl for a long time and have watched her grow up. I used to carry her books when we were both in Kalamazoo.
I'm gonna send a wire, hoppin' on a flyer, leavin' today Am I dreamin'? I can hear her screamin' Hiya, Mr. Jackson Everything's OK, A-L-A-M-A-Z-O
I am going to travel to Kalamazoo to see this girl. I imagine her being excited to see me and saying hello to me.
Oh, what a gal, a real pipperoo I'll make my bid for that freckle-faced kid I'm hurryin' to
This girl is amazing and I am going to make my move on her when I see her. She has freckles on her face and I can't wait to see her.
I'm goin' to Michigan to see the sweetest gal in Kalamazoo (Zoo, zoo) (Zoo, zoo, zoo, Kalamazoo) K (K) A (A) L-A-M-A-Z-O (Oh, oh, oh, oh what a gal, a real pipperoo) (We're goin' to Michigan to see the sweetest gal in Kalamazoo) (Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo) (Kalamazoo!!)
I am traveling to Michigan to see the girl I love who lives in Kalamazoo. She is the sweetest girl in Kalamazoo and I can't wait to see her.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: HARRY WARREN, MACK GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind