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.
Lady Be Good
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's terribly sad but true,
All dressed up, no place to go
Each evening I'm awfully blue.
I must win some handsome guy
Can't go on like this,
I could blossom out I know,
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, lady, be good to me
I am so awfully misunderstood
So lady, be good to me
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all-alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me.
The lyrics of Benny Goodman's "Oh Lady Be Good" tell the story of a lonesome person who dresses up every night without any specific place to go. The singer is looking for someone special to win over in order to stop being so sad and blue. The person he is trying to win over is described as sweet and lovely, and the singer expresses a desire for them to be good to him. He feels misunderstood and helpless, asking for pity and claiming he is just a "lonesome babe in the wood."
The song reflects the universal feeling of loneliness and the desire for human connection. The singer's longing for someone to care for him is relatable, and the simple melody serves to make the song more poignant. The lyrics also emphasize the importance of being good to others, as the singer is essentially begging for the attention of someone who is kind and caring.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to my tale of woe
Please lend me your ear while I narrate my sad story
It's terribly sad but true
Although it's distressing, I assure you it is a fact.
All dressed up, no place to go
I'm well-presented, but I have nowhere to be
Each evening I'm awfully blue
I'm extremely sad every evening
I must win some handsome guy
I need to win over a good-looking man
Can't go on like this
I can't continue living like this
I could blossom out I know
I'm aware that I could flourish if given the chance
With somebody just like you. So
With someone who shares qualities similar to yours. Therefore,
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
You're so charming and delightful, please be kind
Oh, lady, be good to me
Treat me with kindness, dear woman
I am so awfully misunderstood
People don't quite comprehend my situation
So lady, be good to me
That's why, sweetheart, you must treat me kindly
Oh, please have some pity
Please, I'm begging you, show me some compassion
I'm all alone in this big city
I'm all by myself in this vast town
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood
I repeat, I'm merely a solitary, inexperienced person in this place
So lady be good to me
Thus, dear lady, be kind to me to alleviate my loneliness
Oh lady be good to me
Once more, I beseech you, be gentle with me
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@laurielyon7740
How does one not admire the sheer mastery of the clarinet by Benny Goodman.
Interesting that he took a break from the beginning of his solo ( near the beginning).
Was this to admonish the some misstep by one of his sidemen with ‘The Goodman Stare”?
Likely.
He was known to be demanding and even prickly to work with.
(Prickly being a close derivative of another word that I heard used to describe Goodman.)
But aside from that, who was a better clarinetist?
Anyone?
I doubt it.
@SwingCla
Benny Goodman in Japan 1980 <Play List> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrPaVntmR59ubYcmmeFCbz7NYJStjxm6Q
@positivityfunction
This guy is cooler than we'll ever be.
@grafter8337
G-men, Goodman and Gershwin. Quality is never diminished by the passing years.
@COOLSAMMYJO
My grandfathers favourite song .. Born 1906 and loved Gershwin all his life
@alessoul
Benny is of the Best King of swing
@jamesdimasi4640
One of the greatest musicians of the 20th century and a man who completely mastered his instrument.
If you want to hear the extraordinary virtuosity of Goodman then his victor recording of the Tiger Rag.recorded in the 30's will blow you away for long long time.
@bhsisthebest
Thank you for posting such a great piece of music! No matter what or where they play - this is a 100% pure jazz. Thanks a lot.
@wanawara111
Гений. Прошли десятилетия, а для меня он - как первая любовь.
@192719271927hps
Very, very wonderful
@bernardberkhout
Yes! Right, saxoclar! here we get a wonderful example of what it must have been like to get THE RAY. Notice the small but Royal gesture with the left hand and the subsequent GLARE!!! grts Bernard Berkhout