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.
When You
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was a kind man,
Helping a fellow along,
One could not see,
One could not walk,
But they both were humming this song;
When you're smiling, When you're smiling,
When you're laughing, When you're laughing,
The sun comes shining through,
But when you're crying you bring on the rain,
So stop your sighing be happy again,
Keep on smiling 'cause when you're smiling,
The whole world smiles with you.
I used to worry,
I used to hurry,
Each time it started to rain,
Now I see light,
Learned wrong from right,
And you'll never hear me complain;
When you're smiling, When you're smiling,
The whole world smiles with you,
When you're laughing, When you're laughing,
The sun comes shining through,
But when you're crying you bring on the rain,
So stop your sighing be happy again,
Keep on smiling 'cause when you're smiling,
The whole world smiles with you.
The lyrics to Benny Goodman and His Orchestra's song "When Buddha Smiles" carry a message of the power of positivity and the importance of maintaining a good spirit, even in difficult times. The verse about the blind man and his kind actions toward another person despite his own physical limitations emphasizes the idea that no matter what obstacles we face in life, we can always choose to be kind and happy. The chorus encourages listeners to smile and laugh, and reminds them that their emotions can have a contagious effect on the world around them.
The second verse of the song reflects personal growth and a positive change in mindset. The singer used to worry and complain when it rained, but now they have learned to see the bright side of things and not let adversity get them down. The power of positivity in this song is reinforced by the repeated chorus, which reminds listeners that their mood can affect others and that a simple smile can have a far-reaching impact.
Overall, the lyrics to "When Buddha Smiles" convey a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. By choosing to be kind, happy, and optimistic, we can spread positivity to those around us and create a more harmonious world.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw a blind man,
I witnessed a man who could not see with his eyes, but his kindness was evident.
He was a kind man,
The blind man behaved in an amiable manner towards someone in need.
Helping a fellow along,
The kind, blind man was supporting another person who needed assistance.
One could not see,
One of the individuals that the blind man helped was visually impaired.
One could not walk,
The person that the blind man assisted had difficulty walking or was unable to walk altogether.
But they both were humming this song;
The two individuals that the blind man assisted were happy and content as they hummed a tune.
When you're smiling, When you're smiling, The whole world smiles with you,
When you show joy and contentment, others around you will imbibe that same feeling.
When you're laughing, When you're laughing, The sun comes shining through,
When one laughs, the negativity and darkness of one's surroundings disappear, and the world seems brighter.
But when you're crying you bring on the rain, So stop your sighing be happy again, Keep on smiling 'cause when you're smiling, The whole world smiles with you.
Crying and despair can increase negativity in oneself and others. It is important to stop that behavior and be optimistic, which helps others to feel better too.
I used to worry, I used to hurry, Each time it started to rain,
Worrying and being in a hurry leads to sadness and frustration, especially during difficult times.
Now I see light, Learned wrong from right, And you'll never hear me complain;
After learning from past mistakes, one can see the positive aspects of life and become a better person, free from complaints.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joe Goodwin, Larry Shay, Mark Fisher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@expatriacao_imovel_portugal_es
What a wonderful performance!
It touched my heart!
@Elke-ck2sh
It’s Lionel Hampton – – at least that’s what Google says. I never knew Hampton sang. Doing a pretty good job of it!
@Pianoman526
Just fantastic. I love this so much. It's swinging!
@earthstarr32756
Cool man cool. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
@Eidann63
Is Pearl Bailey singing?
@bibi1944
No
@clintjones9848
It's probably Teddy Wilson.