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.
Walk Jenni Walk
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've asked me out a hundred times or more
But all I say is, "Leave me in the gloom"
And here I stay within my lonely room
'Cause
I don't want to walk without you, Baby
Walk without my arm about you, Baby
I'd take a stroll and get you right off my mind
But now I find that
I don't want to walk without the sunshine
Why'd you have to turn off all that sunshine?
Oh, Baby, please come back or you'll break my heart for me
'Cause I don't want to walk without you
No, sire
The lyrics to Benny Goodman's song "Walk Jennie Walk" speak of the singer's deep longing and heartache for their significant other. Despite the constant invitations from their friends, the singer chooses to stay within the confines of their lonely room. The reason behind this choice is revealed in the chorus when the singer confesses that they don't want to walk without their loved one. They don't want to take a single step without them, nor do they want to face the world without their comforting presence as they believe it would break their heart.
What's interesting is the internal struggle the singer goes through, with them initially thinking they could take a stroll and get over their loved one. However, the reality of the situation hits them hard, and they realize that the love they shared was their sunshine. Without it, they feel lost, sad, and desperate. The song captures this sense of helplessness one experiences when they lose someone they love. It's a powerful message, set to the tune of jazz and swing music, reflecting how music can be a medium to express a wide range of emotions.
Overall, "Walk Jennie Walk" is a reflection of the universal human experience of heartbreak and loneliness. The lyrics and tune are timeless, and many still listen to it today. It's a testament to the power of music, the emotions it can evoke, and how it can help us heal in times of distress.
Line by Line Meaning
All our friends keep knocking at the door
My friends are eager to hang out with me and they have been asking me to join them many times
They've asked me out a hundred times or more
My friends have invited me to socialize with them frequently, but I keep declining
But all I say is, 'Leave me in the gloom'
I keep telling my friends to leave me alone and let me be sad and isolated
And here I stay within my lonely room
I remain inside my room all by myself
'Cause
The reason for my sadness and isolation follows
I don't want to walk without you, Baby
I don't want to do anything without you, my dear
Walk without my arm about you, Baby
I don't want to be separated from you, my beloved, while going for a walk
I thought the day you left me behind
I believed that the day you abandoned me in sorrow
I'd take a stroll and get you right off my mind
I'd go for a walk to forget my thoughts of you
But now I find that
However, the present situation differs from my expectations
I don't want to walk without the sunshine
I don't want to be without your warmth, light and happiness
Why'd you have to turn off all that sunshine?
Why did you have to take away all that joy and love from my life?
Oh, Baby, please come back or you'll break my heart for me
Please return to me, my love, otherwise, my heart will shatter into pieces
'Cause I don't want to walk without you
Because I don't want to live without you
No, sire
No way, not at all
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FRANK LOESSER, JULE STYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@roybo1930
Benny Goodman in the 1920`s and 1930`s is just too DIE For! I LOVE This!
@JaneFrieman
I wish Benny Goodman was my uncle. I would say that Uncle Benny was a cool swingin' cat.
@SheridanJazz
You can say it now for all I care! One of the coolest, swingin' est cats od all time. SWing on down, Uncle Benny!
@danielweinstein5252
Arranged by Horace Henderson. The interlude after the first chorus resembles, but is not identical to "Big John Special."
@luismantaras6460
Thank you Daniel for telling us who the arr was... This is B.G. band at its best.
@danielweinstein5252
@Luis Mántaras Agreed!!
@henridelagardere264
Do dee do dee do dee, bab bada ba daba da boo. Walk, Jenny, walk! Dee da da dada da. Halli hallo, meine sehr verehrten Damen und Herren! Willkommen zu Günther Schifters Schellacks, heute zum 2626. Mal. Wir spielen hier alte Platten, sog. Schellacks, und reden von damals. Heute ist der 8. Mai 2021. 1828 wurde an jenem Tag der Gründer des Roten Kreuzes, Henry Dunant geboren, 1884 US-Präsident Harry S. Truman, 1903 Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin, besser bekannt als Fernandel, aber Sie wissen das, hahahahaha! Am 8. Mai 1945 war hier bei uns das große Schießen endgültig zu Ende, und genau drei Jahre zuvor nahm Django Reinhardt mit dem Orchester Stan Brenders unter anderem das da auf:
@Rocko_Rollator
Ich könnte es nicht besser sagen!