Benjamin David Goodman[1] (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an
American jazz musician,
clarinetist and
bandleader, known as "King of
Swing", "Patriarch of the Clarinet", "The Professor", and "Swing's Senior Statesman".
In the mid-1930s, Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America. His January 16, 1938 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history jazz's 'coming out' party to the world of 'respectable' music."[2]
Goodman's bands launched the careers of many major names in jazz, and during an era of segregation, he also led one of the first racially-integrated musical groups. Goodman continued to perform to nearly the end of his life, including exploring his interest in classical music.
Goodman was born in Chicago, Illinois, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire,[3] who lived in the Maxwell Street neighborhood. His father was David Goodman, a tailor from Warsaw; his mother was Dora Rezinski (from Kaunas). His parents met in Baltimore, Maryland, and moved to Chicago before Benny was born.[1]
