Jazz Artist of the Week
Benny Goodman "King of Swing"

Benny Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and band leader, known as the "King of Swing". In the mid-1930s, Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America. His concert in Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16, 1938, is described by the 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."Goodman's bands launched the careers of many major jazz artists. During an era of racial segregation he led one of the first well-known integrated jazz groups. Goodman performed nearly to the end of his life, while exploring an interest in classical music.