Great Benny Goodman clips. Thanks all.
Benny was wonderful. The whole issue of “best of all time” is an impossible determination. The context of where the music was at in its evolution puts it all in the only valid perspective, imo. Great comments and observations re recent clips posted.
During Benny’s time the demands on players where very different in many ways. There was a different ensemble playing aesthetic and the softer sounding (than saxophones) clarinet could be featured in a big band or lead the reed section. As Jazz evolved toward the modern and electric it generally became more aggressive volume wise and players’ sounds evolved likewise toward a brighter and more aggressive approach (Pepper Adams/nsp). The clarinet didn’t stand a chance. Not only because it is not capable of the same sheer volume as a saxophone, but as Jazz evolved to a more harmonically sophisticated and challenging language, the clarinet’s poor logic in its key (fingering) system made the instrument much more difficult to play with the kind of harmonically extended approach to improvisation that became standard post-big band era. The saxophone has a certain logic to its fingering system that makes it much more conducive to the speed of bebop and the patterns-based Coltrane approach. In light of this, Eddie Daniels’ accomplishment is that much more impressive. He talks about this in the interview portion of the clip I posted earlier.
Btw, Schubert, GRP records was known for being one of the first entirely digital record companies.
pjw, let us know how you like the Thad and Mel records. Per your comment, it was such a different time (perspective):
https://youtu.be/YsJScuVa_HI
Benny was wonderful. The whole issue of “best of all time” is an impossible determination. The context of where the music was at in its evolution puts it all in the only valid perspective, imo. Great comments and observations re recent clips posted.
During Benny’s time the demands on players where very different in many ways. There was a different ensemble playing aesthetic and the softer sounding (than saxophones) clarinet could be featured in a big band or lead the reed section. As Jazz evolved toward the modern and electric it generally became more aggressive volume wise and players’ sounds evolved likewise toward a brighter and more aggressive approach (Pepper Adams/nsp). The clarinet didn’t stand a chance. Not only because it is not capable of the same sheer volume as a saxophone, but as Jazz evolved to a more harmonically sophisticated and challenging language, the clarinet’s poor logic in its key (fingering) system made the instrument much more difficult to play with the kind of harmonically extended approach to improvisation that became standard post-big band era. The saxophone has a certain logic to its fingering system that makes it much more conducive to the speed of bebop and the patterns-based Coltrane approach. In light of this, Eddie Daniels’ accomplishment is that much more impressive. He talks about this in the interview portion of the clip I posted earlier.
Btw, Schubert, GRP records was known for being one of the first entirely digital record companies.
pjw, let us know how you like the Thad and Mel records. Per your comment, it was such a different time (perspective):
https://youtu.be/YsJScuVa_HI