Re: Benny Goodman

[Joshua Huppert <jbhuppert...>]

I have been told that Benny Goodman played Jewish gigs when he was young. But 
even at that time, the traditional E. European Yiddish folk music  was well on 
its way out.  It was definitely much cooler ( and better paying) to play 
mainstream American music than to play the old Jewish stuff. Even the bands 
that were playing Jewish gigs, at least here in Chicago, were mostly young guys 
who did not really know the old stuff, with maybe one or two old-timers who 
could still play what some of us now think of as klezmer music.

I have a copy somewhere of an interesting interview of an old Jewish clarinet 
player who grew around the same time, and in the same neighborhood, as Goodman. 
I'm not too sure of the ethics of passing the interview around, because the 
interviewer is a professional writer who was hoping to publish something (but 
apparently never did). If any one is really interested I could try to track 
down the writer and see if he is willing to share it.

Josh Huppert
Chicago
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Eliezer Kaplan 
  To: World music from a Jewish slant 
  Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2002 7:02 PM
  Subject: Re: Benny Goodman


  That's really kind of sad. Surely he must have done some klez when he was 
coming up. Otherwise why the Ziggy Elman thing?
                                  ek
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: MaxwellSt (at) aol(dot)com 
    To: World music from a Jewish slant 
    Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2002 5:21 PM
    Subject: Fwd: Benny Goodman


    I forwarded the thread on Benny G. (not to be confused with Kenny) to one 
of our clarinetists, Ralph Wilder.  His reply gives an interesting family 
perspective to the question of whether Benny did or did not klez....(his reply 
below).
    Lori