Benny Goodman and His Sextet

Biography

Benjamin David Goodman, born on May 30, 1909, in Chicago to poor Jewish immigrant parents, began playing clarinet at age 10 in a local synagogue and joined his first pit band by age 11. He quit school at 14 to pursue music professionally, joining the Ben Pollack orchestra in 1925 where he made his first solo recording on 'He's the Last Word' in 1926. After leaving Pollack in 1929, Goodman worked as a studio musician in New York, recording with artists like Billie Holiday, and began leading his own recordings in 1931. In 1934, he formed his first band, incorporating arrangements from Fletcher Henderson, and gained exposure on NBC's 'Let's Dance' radio show.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• Goodman's 1935 Palomar Ballroom performance in Los Angeles, broadcast on radio, sparked the Swing Era and made him the 'King of Swing' overnight after a struggling tour.[1][2]
• His January 16, 1938, Carnegie Hall concert with musicians from Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands was the first jazz concert there, hailed as jazz's 'coming out' party to respectable music.[2][3]
• Goodman formed one of the first racially integrated jazz groups with Teddy Wilson (1935) and Lionel Hampton (1936), hiring Black talent for small combos despite segregation norms.[1][4]
• The Benny Goodman Sextet, formed in 1939 with Charlie Christian, expanded to seven or eight pieces, experimenting with musicians like Count Basie, Lester Young, and Peggy Lee.[3][4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Ben Pollack - First important bandleader who provided early professional experience and recording opportunities ('He's the Last Word' (1926)) [1925-1929]
• Fletcher Henderson - Key arranger whose charts defined Goodman's band's sound; hired Henderson's band members to teach his musicians (Arrangements for early band hits like 'Don't Be That Way', 'Stompin' at the Savoy') [1934 onward]
• John Hammond - Producer and friend who connected Goodman with Henderson and produced later sessions (Columbia Records sessions in late 1930s) [1930s-1940s]

Key Collaborators

• Gene Krupa - Drummer in early band and original trio (Billy Rose's Music Hall band (1934), early trio recordings) [1934-1938]
• Teddy Wilson - Pianist in original trio and quartet, forming interracial small groups (Trio recordings like 'After You've Gone', 'Moonglow') [1935-1940s]
• Lionel Hampton - Vibraphonist added to make quartet, later sextet work (Quartet hits like 'Avalon', 'Moonglow') [1936-1940s]
• Charlie Christian - Electric guitarist who launched the sextet, pioneering guitar role in jazz ('Air Mail Special', 'Seven Come Eleven', 'AC-DC Current') [1939-1942]
• Bunny Berigan - Trumpeter in early band at Billy Rose's Music Hall (1934 band recordings) [1934]

Artists Influenced

• Charlie Christian - Elevated by Goodman sextet to pioneer electric guitar solos in jazz (Sextet compositions like 'Air Mail Special') [1939-1942]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia