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.
Star Dust
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.
The song "Stardust" by Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian, and the Benny Goodman Sextet is about the memories of a lost love. The opening stanza describes the twilight time, which represents a period of transition or change, and how the "purple dusk" is spreading across the "meadows of my heart." As night approaches, the singer is reminded that the person they love is far away, symbolized by the image of the stars climbing higher in the sky. The next stanza begins with the singer wondering how they spend their lonely nights, dreaming of a song that reminds them of their lost love, and how they are transported back to a time when everything was new and filled with inspiration. But now, the only comfort the singer has is the memory of their love, represented by the stardust of the song. The final stanza takes place outside, under the stars, where the singer imagines being together with their love. The nightingale sings a tale of paradise, but this is just a fantasy. The singer knows they cannot return to the past, but the memory of their love's refrain will stay in their heart forever.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
The evening sky signifies the end of a romantic relationship.
Steals across the meadows of my heart
The feeling of sadness and separation seeps into the singer's heart.
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Stars appear to climb up in the sky, reminding the singer of the distance between two lovers.
Always reminding me that we're apart
The stars symbolize the physical distance and emotional disconnect between two lovers.
You wander down the lane and far away
The loved one has physically moved away, leaving the artist behind.
Leaving me a song that will not die
The memory and love of the loved one in the form of a song that lasts forever.
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
Past love is now a faded memory represented by stardust.
The music of the years gone by.
Music captures the essence and emotions of love over time.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The artist ponders how they pass their time during a long separation from their loved one.
The lonely nights
The nights bring loneliness and pain without the loved one.
Dreaming of a song
The singer dreams of a song that symbolizes their love and brings them solace during lonely times.
The melody
The melody of the song represents the sweetness and beauty of the past love.
Haunts my reverie
The memory of the song lingers and fills the singer's thoughts.
And I am once again with you
The singer is transported back in time when they shared their love with their loved one.
When our love was new
The sweet memories of the beginning of their love are revived.
And each kiss an inspiration
Each kiss during the past love inspired happiness, joy, and bliss.
But that was long ago
The past love was a long time ago and cannot be revisited.
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
The singer finds comfort in the memory and melody of the song where their love is forever preserved.
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
The singer imagines a peaceful and romantic setting with stars shining above the garden wall.
You are in my arms
The artist feels the presence of their loved one in their arms in their imagination.
The nightingale
The melodious bird symbolizes love and the beauty of the natural world.
Tells his fairytale
The bird sings its love story to its mate, creating a romantic and soothing aura.
Of paradise, where roses grew
The nightingale shares its song of paradise with beautiful roses representing love and passion.
Though I dream in vain
The artist knows their dreams are unrealized and unattainable.
In my heart it will remain
The singer's love will remain in their heart forever.
My stardust melody
The song, like stardust, preserves the memory and essence of past love forever.
The memory of love's refrain.
The song, like the refrain of lost love, is engraved in the singer's heart and soul.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lyndafullerton3458
I was born in 41 Indianapolis and my older brother was learning the clarinet as I grew up and I so remember 'Stardust" as my first musical memory. I still love it not jazzy but as a solid ballad. Just love it,
@spencersmith2798
One of Swing music’s definitive recordings...just as fresh today as 84 years ago...”The Excellent is always New”—RW Emerson
@Melody_Mike.4460
So refreshing to hear a jumping version played by none other, Benny goodman
@swingman5635
Fletcher's arrangements never disappoint.
@wagnerferreirafreire2044
Woderfull Benny Goodman
THE KING OF JAZZ.
@jamesboehm8486
music to my ears! BEAUTIFUL! JAMES B.
@BartlomiejKrysiak
Great tune, thanks for sharing :)
@damnthewar
a fine swing number by benny shaws version which is a standard for him is smoother and was more popular he did do a swing version “ live” on rca lp 6000 in 1938 i prefer the shaw to the goodman version
@jesuscuenca4524
Me gusta mucho. Os invito a oir esta versión clarinete: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGtkam7WjBE
@scotnick59
disappointing version = bland and rather mechanical - sounding