Name______
10. Benny Goodman (1909 – 1986)
“Nothing less than perfection would do,” Benny Goodman said of his long band-leading career. His exacting standards paid off. A virtuoso on the clarinet and a taskmaster on the band stand, he was also a student of music who never let a day go by without practicing. “I’ve always wanted to know what made music,” he said. “How you do it and why it sounds good.” In 1934, Goodman established an orchestra that introduced big band jazz to the larger American public, helped to usher in the Swing Era, and succeeded in establishing jazz in America’s concert halls. “Benny built himself a band playing musician’s music,” explained his drummer, Gene Krupa. And at a time when even the stage was racially segregated, his ongoing desire to perfect that music led him to bring to it great African-American musicians. “If a guy’s got it, let him give it,” Goodman said. “I’m selling music, not prejudice.”
Listen to: Sing, Sing, Sing (2:11)
As you listen to the music, answer the following questions. Short answers are fine.
- What are the instruments used to make the music?
- How does this music make me feel?
- Is there a singer?
- In what genre does this music best fit?
11. Glenn Miller (1904 – 1944)
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz trombone player, arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands". Miller's notable recordings include "In the Mood", "Moonlight Serenade", "Pennsylvania 6-5000", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "A String of Pearls", "At Last", "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo", "American Patrol", "Tuxedo Junction", and "Little Brown Jug". As his band prepared to embark on a tour of Europe, Miller boarded a flight to Paris on December 15, 1944 to make preparatory arrangements for the rest of his group. Sadly, the transport on which Miller was a passenger disappeared over the English Channel and was never recovered. The disappearance of Miller's aircraft may have been caused by bad weather. However, records also suggest that bombs, jettisoned by Allied bombers returning from an aborted mission, may have inadvertently struck the plane. Even after Glenn Miller's disappearance, his army band continued to play for troops, performing up until August 1945, at which time the group returned to New York and its members were discharged. The Glenn Miller Orchestra was reformed after the war and continues to record and perform to this day.
Listen to: In The Mood(3:10)
As you listen to the music, answer the following questions. Short answers are fine.
- What are the instruments used to make the music?
- How does this music make me feel?
- Is there a singer?
- In what genre does this music best fit?