my interest in goodman was sparked by the ken burns documentary series on jazz, and firestone's biography really filled the bill for me. i've read other biographies of great jazz figures since, but none of them come close to this one. great not only for information about goodman but about the entire swing era and its decline. goodman had his negative points, as firestone points out, but ultimately he was a triumphant and inspiring figure.

If you are interested in the history of Jazz, this is one of the books that is essential to your collection. It's not only a great biography about an unusual but talented man, it's the story of a man who stood at the divide between swing and bop, who was a cruel band leader but who nurtured some of the great talents that followed him, who never really mastered bop but whose vision and band format was the foundation that made bop possible.

Goodman was apparently a hard man to like, and this biography squarely faces his difficult personality. He was also a genius, and incredibly hard working. This book does a good job both of telling the story of Goodman's life and the context of his music. There are many compelling anecdotes, and the story is engrossingly told.

This is really the only bio to get of BG. Collier's book "BG And The Swing Era" perpetrates many myths and inaccuracies, mainly because he seems to have this fear about going to primary sources and seems to get a lot of his information off album sleeves and from 12th-hand anecdotes. Firestone's book uncovers some interesting facts, about Benny's flirtation and near-marriage to singer Helen Ward, about the recording of the famous Carnegie Hall concert (contrary to popular myth, there was more than one overhead mike turned on that night, and the band knew they were being recorded) and Benny's near emotional breakdowns in the 50s and 60s and his near total dependence on painkillers and other medications (for a chronic bad back) that also may have altered his personality and brought on some of the bizarre behavior Goodman is infamous for. Briskly-written, filled with surprises, a fascinating read, it should be on the shelf of every jazz fan and big band enthusiast.

Well, first off I didn't order this online. I bought it at a store. And it was just what I was looking for. Any clarinet player who is interested in jazz should definitely check this out. Not only does this book include 30 solos played by Benny Goodman, it also gives tips and pointers on how to play with "swing" and other techniques.
This book will definitely help you, but it may also hurt you if you're not willing to be patient and take it slow at first. If you don't you'll never hit those really high 32nd triplets.

this was an exellent book i would reconmend it to anyone who loves to play the clairnet

Jonah Winter's Once Upon A Time In Chicago (0-7868-2404-2) covers the life of musician Benny Goodman. Jeanette Winter provides the color drawings for a picturebook coverage of jazz music history in general and Goodman's evolution as a player in particular.

I bought this for my 8 year old niece. She is learning the clarinet and enjoying swing music both old and new. In fact, when she heard Goodman's trademark signoff song, "Goodbye" she nearly choked up with emotion.

"That's so sad," she said. "That's so beautiful."

And she loved the book. Mr. Winter's terse prose provides depth for young readers. And the illustrations are pure Jeannette Winter - whose work I have often seen and which has never disappointed.

Children need not be musicians to enjoy this. If you want them exposed to the best of 20th-century pop culture (and one of today's best juvenile writers,) get this book.

An incredible book. One of the most outstanding it it's kind. Mr. Connor really knows what he's talking about and has been the nr.1 Benny Goodman-expert for at least 40 years.No Goodman-fan should live without it. I recommend this book and give it 10 stars J.J.Gjedsted

My daughter Krys has recently been downloading some swing music, and I couldn't help but notice many of the tracks were from Benny Goodman! The Kwong family is a musically gifted household and eversince little Kryssy-poo has taken up her clarinet lessons, it's been all Benny all day long!

I originally bought "Benny: King of Swing" for her as a Christmas gift, and let me tell you...that little smile of hers just lit up at the sight of good ol' Benny on the front cover. Each page is filled with tiny tidbits and snapshots from the life of who is surely one of the greatest musicians of all time. It makes an interesting read, and some of the pictures are remarkable.

Pick up this book! You'll fall in love with it, and hopefully even gain a better appreciation for the music of Mr. Goodman. CLARINET RULES! ROCK ON, BENNY BABY!

Teddy Wilson's elegant piano-style is reflected in this book. It is a self-portrait that avoids being hard on anybody. Teddy recounts his career with style and distance thereby avoiding being too personal. He doesn't cover every single year but rather focuses on some - to him - important incidents. The book is recommended for everybody interested in the swing era and its musicians and makes a pleasant reading. In the appendix there is an excellent discography listing - as far as I can judge it - really everything known as being recorded by Teddy Wilson, even if it has never been issued so far.

Collier's book on Goodman is okay, but it could have been better. He has a bad habit of rarely if ever seeking primary sources. Instead he relies on past published materials, acting as an assimilator rather than a biographer. This leads to the needless perpetration of myths and errors rather than (as a biography should) the clarification and correction of facts. He also tends to psychoanalyze too much, sometimes making some huge leaps, while to the best of my knowledge he has no degree in psychology. A far better book on BG is Ross Firestone's "Swing Swing Swing," which breaks new ground and sheds some real light on Goodman and what drove him and what made him behave as erratically as he did, particularly in his later years.