[Dixielandjazz] Carnegie Hall 1938 Goodman

[Stan Brager]

Steve;

The story of the BG's Carnegie Hall concert was covered in Ross Firestone's
book "Swing, Swing, Swing". He states that the idea came from publicist Wynn
Nathanson. Benny had to be convinced by Nathanson. When that was done,
Nathanson convinced Sol Hurok to be the producer. It was he who rented
Carnegie Hall for Sunday January 16, 1938 - the night after Benny finished a
3 month stand at the Pennsylvania Hotel.

The recording was produced by Albert Marx as a special gift for his wife,
Helen Ward and a second set for Benny. He contracted Artists Recording
Studio to make 2 sets. Artists Recording only had 2 turntables so they
farmed out the second set to Raymond Scott's recording studio.

Microphones had been setup in Carnegie for their normal broadcast over
Columbia's radio network via a broadcast quality phone line. This particular
feed was sent to Artists Recording Studio and Raymond Scott's studio.

It was Benny's sister-in-law who found the recordings in Benny's apartment
and brought them to Benny's attention.

The rest is history.

Stan
Stan Brager
Trombonist-in-Training

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 8:06 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Carnegie Hall 1938 Goodman


> Here is a history of the Benny Goodman 1938 Carnegie Hall recording that
> prompted Dick Broadie to take up a long and successful musical career.
> >From http://www.wrkf.org/tinpan4.html
> I apologice for the all caps, don't know how to change them.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
> ON JANUARY 16, 1938, IMPRESSARIO SOL HUROK, IN CONJUNCTION WITH BENNY,
> RENTED CARNEGIE HALL IN NEW YORK CITY TO PRESENT THE FIRST JAZZ CONCERT
> EVER HELD IN THAT REVERED HOME OF CLASSICAL MUSIC. BENNY, AT THE
> SUGGESTION OF JOHN HAMMOND, WEALTHY MUSIC ENTHUSIAST, INVITED NOT ONLY
> ALL THE MEMBERS OF HIS BAND BUT ALSO MEMBERS OF THE COUNT BASIE AND DUKE
> ELLINGTON BANDS. THE WRITTEN PROGRAM STATED "THE AUDIENCE IS ASKED TO
> ACCEPT THE JAM SESSION IN THE SPIRIT OF EXPERIMENTATION WITH THE HOPE
> THAT THE PROPER ATMOSPHERE WILL BE ESTABLISHED." IT WAS QUICKLY
> ESTABLISHED WHEN THE PROGRAM OPENED WITH "DON'T BE THAT WAY.
>
> THE REVIEWS WERE DIVERSE BUT GENERALLY ENCOURAGING. SOMEONE REMARKED TO
> BENNY THAT IT WAS TOO BAD SOMEBODY HADN'T MADE A RECORD OF THE CONCERT,
> AND HE REPLIED "SOMEBODY DID." ENGINEERS FROM THE COLUMBIA BROADCASTING
> SYSTEM HAD HUNG A SINGLE MICROPHONE ABOVE THE STAGE AND HAD RUN A
> TELEPHONE LINE TO THEIR
> CBS STUDIOS. THERE THE CONCERT WAS RECORDED. A DUPLICATE SET WAS MADE
> AND GIVEN TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. BENNY TOOK THE OTHER SET HOME, PUT
> IT IN A CLOSET, AND FORGOT ABOUT IT.
>
> IT SEEMS INCONCEIVABLE THAT COLUMBIA WOULDN'T HAVE APPROACHED THE
> CONCERT WITHOUT THINKING FIRST OF RECORDING AND SELLING IT, BUT THEY
> DIDN'T. IN 195O, BENNY'S DAUGHTER, RACHEL, RUMMAGING AROUND IN THE
> CLOSET FOUND THE RECORDS. "WHAT ARE THESE?" SHE WANTED TO KNOW. BENNY
> WISELY HAD THEM TRANSFERRED TO TAPE, AND
> THE 1938 CARNEGIE HALL JAZZ CONCERT WAS PRODUCED AND RELEASED ON TWO
> COLUMBIA LP'S THAT SAME YEAR.
>
>
>
>
>