[LiAm84]

Interesting recording of Benny Goodman backed by Gene Krupa's orchestra playing Georgia on My Mind on tenor saxophone!!
I think he sounds wonderful with a light tone reminiscent of Lester Young.
It seems Goodman was particulaly enamoured with the lighter tenor approach and apart from employing/recording with Lester Young he also hired many Prez deciples over the years such as Wardel Gray, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Jerry Jerome etc...

 

[rhysonsax]

I had no idea !

Not bad at all - fluent and good ideas.

Thanks Liam

Rhys

 

[1saxman]

Wow - never knew! He could have played 1st tenor in any of those bands. Extremely talented musician.

 

[KeithL]

Well it may be Benny playing the tune but that picture is of Stan Getz playing tenor while Goodman is the guy holding the clarinet.

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

Is Goodwin actually smiling while one of the band members is playing?

 

[LiAm84]

Well it may be Benny playing the tune but that picture is of Stan Getz playing tenor while Goodman is the guy holding the clarinet.

I couldn't find a picture of Benny Goodman playing tenor to use but I thought that picture of him listening to Getz and smiling to himself was appropriate. Perhaps he was thinking "... pretty good Stanley but I could do a better job myself..."??

 

[AddictedToSax]

Funny how he sounds so much like Benny Goodman even on tenor sax. Thanks for that. He was always someone I enjoyed listening to, having started out on clarinet at age 10 so many years ago.

 

[allenlowe]

tonally he sounds much closer to Bud Freeman then Prez -

 

[whaler]

Great sound. I enjoyed the evenness of his sound.
I had no idea he played tenor but it doesn’t surprise me. Everybody doubled back then.

 

[Tryptykon]

tonally he sounds much closer to Bud Freeman then Prez -

Bud .. Freeman ?

Ivey divey ... I mean they were nice friends, but . . . .

 

[tenorsfan]

I don't think I'd scoff at the thought of any similarities between Benny's playing here and Bud Freeman, as well there's a couple of "nice friends" Herschel's cries and maybe a mess up of his heavy vibrato. It's a little misleading of Liam to suggest Benny hired Lester followers over the years. Far better to say he hired those guys in the later years. Aside from Bud Freeman all the tenors he hired in the heyday were big toned guys and them mostly Herschel followers. I can't remember what Vido Musso sounded like with Goodman, but in '39 he was a note for note Herschel imitator. Georgie Auld was changing too but he had been Evans' most successful imitator. Likewise Babe Rusin, all over the place, but his most famous solo, Evans all the way, was on String of Pearls. Jerry Jerome seemed to combine Lester and Herschel.

John Hammond wanted to promote Lester as the star of the Basie band and seemingly pretend Herschel wasn't there. Power of propaganda. Brainwashing works. It goes on today, Herschel's name is still taken away. Rather like all these lies and propaganda we're getting these days with covid and masks and orange man bad. You guys don't know what you're missing.'Greatest tenor played.'

 

[Reet McVouty]

In the late 20's Benny Goodman doubled on clarinet and sax in Ben Pollack's orchestra.

 

[Tryptykon]

I don't think I'd scoff at the thought of any similarities between Benny's playing here and Bud Freeman, as well there's a couple of "nice friends"

My remark was really just an oblique reference to a Lester Young interview - you've probably read it at some point .
A cryptic bit of fun for those that might've recognized it .
Anyway.. nice post .

 

[LiAm84]

In the late 20's Benny Goodman doubled on clarinet and sax in Ben Pollack's orchestra.

Who is in that picture?

Here is a recording from 1928 where he plays alto and baritone with Glenn Miller, Fud Livingston, and the Ben Pollack rhythm section.