[Dixielandjazz] BENNY GOODMAN 1938 Carnegie Hall Recordings.

[Bill Haesler]

> But in the original liner notes there is reference to Benny dragging 
> one of
> the microphones closer to Stacy for a solo when he realised that 
> something
> magical was happening with Sing Sing Sing.  If he thought the overhead 
> mic
> was the only one, would he have done that?

Dear Mike,
Good point.
However, isn't the current 'argument' about whether Benny was aware of 
the fact that the Concert was being recorded on the night, and whether 
there was one or several recording microphones available?
The overwhelming consensus over the years is that he didn't. And did 
not know until Albert Marx told him he had the acetates (laquers) a 
week/weeks later. And even then, it seems, that apart from the History 
of Jazz segment (an idea  suggested by Irving Kolodin) and the jam 
session, Benny wasn't really all that interested and never listened to 
the discs until 1950 and had copies made.
 From various references it also seems that BG was aware that the 
overhead mic was used for recording (it was used for the weekly CBS 
Philharmonic broadcast at 3.00 pm in the afternoon), but 'may' have 
assumed that the piano mic was for house/performance use. Incidentally, 
Martha Tilton also used one for her vocals on the night.
As I've mused earlier, rather than second-guessing, it is time an 
informed jazz scholar collated all the contemporary accounts of the 
Concert, thepreparation, the aftermath, the reviews and the important 
events leading up to the release of the original Columbia LP album. It 
would make a long and interesting article for 'Mississippi Rag' or the 
'IAJRA Journal'.
Kind regards,
Bill.
BTW, the fine John McDonough album notes for the excellent remastered 
Jasmine 2-CD reissue of the Concert are a heavily edited version of (BG 
expert) Mr Donough's original authoritative article, available from 
Jasmine to those who bought the CDs.
I have them. They are well written, informative and address many of the 
questions raised by this DJML thread.
There is also an email of a January 2003 Q&A exchange between radio 
presenter Rob Bamberger and George Avakian concerning the quality of 
the digitally remastered second Columbia CD set. As this may be a 
private exchange, I will keep my copy that way.
Bill.