# CD review: Benny Goodman – Absolutely The Best 2022: Video, CD cover

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2022/03/07/cd-review-benny-goodman-absolutely-the-best-2022-video-cd-cover/
- Published: 2022-03-07T03:20:31+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**Two complementary issues, each an anthology of Benny Goodman’s classical playing,
but exploring it from different angles. In the one case, the performance of modern
works with which he had a special association; in the other the performance of standard
classical works of chamber music with a prominent clarinet part.**

In 1939, when the first 78s of Goodman and the Budapest Quartet playing the Mozart
Quintet appeared on HMV, it was perhaps possible to write about Goodman as a new
classical soloist without reference to his jazz background of which the writer, 
if classically orientated, might reasonably have then been in complete ignorance.
Perhaps those opinions were the only totally unbiased ones ever printed (unbiased
in either of the two possible directions); for it is certainly not possible today,
writing about classical playing, to be in similar total ignorance of Goodman as 
a jazz player.

As such, you can love his playing, if you have a taste for swinging, in-tune, musicianly
jazz; or dislike it, if you have a taste for earlier or for later jazz; or hate 
it you have no taste for any jazz at all. I may as well come clean: I do have a 
taste for swinging, in-tune, musicianly jazz, and have greatly enjoyed Goodman’s
own playing (not always his bands, and sometimes not his colleagues) since well 
before I took to listening half the night (with a kind of stethoscope attachment),
totally enthralled by repeated playings of the first Goodman Trio 78s.

Yet I do not believe that there is anything unnatural in Goodman having been also
a first-class solist; indeed, it seems much odder that so many musicians (including,
I know, many superlative ones!) respond only to one field or the other. Goodman,
though: I am not quite sure which field actually represented his primary interest.
For consider: he was not brought up in New Orleans, going out with the marching 
bands and playing in bouncing, joyous dance halls; he was brought up learning classical
clarinet at school. Until, that is, the day that he first heard Frank Teschemacher(!)
or Ted Lewis (!!); and then the bait was swallowed, and (pace Jimmy Doersy!) the
history of relatively sophisticated jazz clarinet was born.

But not to the exclusion of classical clarinet. It is history that in Goodman’s 
case jazz clarinet took over; and later, with an even firmer grip, the fronting 
of large, highly danceable bands, of which the mushrooming success (could we have
won the war without Glenn Miller?) made it increasingly difficult for Goodman to
return to his first love.

But in touch with is first love he most certainly kept, with results that are illustrated
by the first record listed above. Two of the included works, the Copland Concerto
and the Bartok Contrasts, Goodman commissioned (a very good use for the money churned
in by churning out all those riffs!); these receive excellent performances all round.
There is every possible degree of authenticity, not merely with the respective composers
having composed, in the first place, in some degree of collaboration with what Goodman
wanted, but also with the respective composers directing on the sessions: Copland
from the conducting chair, Bartok from the piano chair.

The other two works spring from different circumstances: they were commissioned 
by Woody Herman to suit his own band, and to suit his own clarinet-playing. By misfortune,
or misjudgement, both the solo part clarinet parts were simply totally inadequate
in projection for the commissioning soloist: if Paganini was somewhat disappointed
with Harold in Italy, Woody Herman was more than somewhat disapppointed with the
Bernstein and the Stravinsky. He gave up, understandably, commissioning any further
new works from classical composers; but not before Bernstein had given us the Prelude,
Fugue and Riffs (which the Herman band, at least, must have enjoyed), and Stravinsky
the Ebony Concerto (which the band probably did not: if so, I am with them).

The two Teldec illustrate the other side of Goodman’s lifetime association with 
the classics. Three of the works are standard masterpieces of chamber music; the
Weber is not quite this, allotting an unreasonably large share of the limelight (
Woody Herman would have been pleased!) to the clarinet part, giving more of the 
effect of a chamber concerto for solo clarinet and string quartet: and what is wrong
with that (except for the title)? Goodman certainly makes it sound right; his colleagues
do not go on strike; and the upshot is four classical performances of the first 
class.
 Throughout the recorded quality of both issues, LP and CD, is also very 
good; a small rider, though, might well qualify response to the Brahms Trio, which
has from time to time mild, unidentifiable background noises: distant conversation,
possibly, or a restless player seated uncomfortably. But if either group of four
works is a group you want, do not hesitate: these are all splendid performances,
and not only on Benny Goodman’s part.

1. These Foolish Things
 2. Let’s Dance 3. Stompin’ At The Savoy 4. Somebody Stole
My Gal 5. You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me 6. Sent For You Yesterday (And Here
You Come Today) 7. Close Your Eyes 8. You’re Blasé 9. The World Is Waiting For The
Sunrise 10. I Want To Be Happy 11. Mission To Moscow 12. King Porter Stomp 13. That’s
A Plenty 14. And The Angels Sing 15. Goodbye 16. Sing, Sing, Sing

![Benny Goodman - Absolutely The Best (2022)](https://i0.wp.com/www.dibpic.com/uploads/
posts/2022-03/1646114806_rzc71cdjbl1ua_600.jpg?resize=640%2C640&ssl=1)

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