[Dixielandjazz] Teddy Wilson- Jess Stacy & Benny Goodman

[Dradjazz at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/12/10 2:07:42 AM, 
dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com writes:


> Wilson is listed for quite a few 1936 broadcasts.
> 
> Hampton joined a little later.
> 
> But, true enough, they were "informal" members of the BG aggregation.
> 
> Everybody knows the 1938 Carnegie hall concert, where black musicians
> shared the stage with the Goodman band.
> 
> Both wilson and Hamptonp layed as part of the big band at the July 19,
> 1938 Camel Caravan broadcast.
> >
> 
Hey folks --

I can fill in a few of the details regarding this thread as I just 
completed a four hour radio series on Goodman which can be heard, along with 
accompanying article and links, at:
JAZZ RHYTHM
http://jazzhotbigstep.com/45801.html

>From what I gleaned regarding the Goodman situation with Wilson, Hampton 
and later Cootie Williams and Charlie Christian from two of the detailed 
biographies of Goodman -- Ross Firestone’s, Swing, Swing, Swing, and James 
Lincoln Collier’s, Benny Goodman and the Swing Era   --   and the other research I 
did this was:   

First of all Goodman himself was completely color blind as to race and was 
a musician first, last and always.   It was still unusual in the late 1930s 
for the record companies to issue mixed race recordings (NORK and Jelly in 
the '20s and certain other rare exceptions notwithstanding).   During the 
Swing Era Goodman was just about the biggest thing in popular music starting in 
1935-36, which gave him unusual leeway.   When the BG Trio and Quartet 
records sold exceptionally well, RCA ( and later, Columbia) were not going to 
stand on principle.

Earlier, before 1935-36 yes, he probably felt too intimidated by the powers 
that be . . . after 1936, no.

Yes, these African-American artists were not officially members of the band 
. . . officially.  Goodman did include them in his shows as "special 
guests."   Apparently, there were never any racial incidents reported, even in 
Texas.   Goodman, because of his extreme commercial success, was able to breach 
the then existing color line in the music industry.   Goodman himself is 
quoted as saying, "I'm selling music, not predjudice."

Goodman grew up an extememly impoverished Jew himself and subject to 
discrimination.   In his youth he did participate in schools and public events 
with black musicians, which undoubtedly contributed to his lack of race 
predjudice.   Once he was bitten by the jazz bug, he absorbed it all, especially 
what the black and creole clarinet players were doing.   Even shared a 
German-American clarinet instructor who taught Jimmie Noone.   Everyone who knew or 
has studied him report that he was a very odd man, obsessed with only ONE 
thing: MUSIC, to the exclusion of everything else.

********

<< Did I read somewhere that John Hammond was Benny's brother-in-law? >>

Yes, Goodman married John Hammond’s sister Alice (in 1942 I believe); a 
marriage that lasted nearly 36 years before her sudden death in 1978. Alice 
must have been quite a gal, as she had recently divorced a very socially 
elevated British politician and Minister of Parliament (House of Lords maybe?) in 
what seems to have been a rather bad mismatch.

There was a falling out between John Hammond and Goodman for a while, at 
least during the 40s.   I don't know how long it lasted or how bitter it might 
have been.   That feud seems to have had both business and musical 
dimensions.   

Cheers,

Dave Radlauer
www.JAZZHOTBigstep.com