Benny Goodman
By Stuart Kremsky
August 21, 1935 found the Benny Goodman Orchestra at the end of a poorly received, depressing road trip. They started their set at Los Angeles’ Palomar Ballroom with polite dance music, and the audience soon seemed bored. With little left to lose, Goodman let his men loose to wail on some of the up-tempo arrangements they’d perfected on a radio show called Let’s Dance. Although Goodman didn’t know it, the show had been very popular on the West Coast, and the young crowd was primed to respond enthusiastically to the swinging sounds they’d heard on the air. The evening turned into a total triumph for the... Read More
- City Of Origin:
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Genre:
- Jazz, Swing, Big Band
- Birthdate:
- 05/30/1909
- Death date:
- 06/13/1986
