To put things in time perspective, Benny Goodman’s 1938 Carnegie Hall concert was the “official” national acceptance of The Swing Era. This four disc, 98 song collection shows that the tsunami of swing was already swelling, with Big Bands, both “hot” and “sweet” as well as singers riding the wave.
Of course, there are plenty of songs by The King Of Swing himself, Benny Goodman, with classics like “Stompin’ At The Savoy”, “Goody Goody” and “You Turned The Tables On Me” (with Helen Ward). Other “hot”Big Band leaders that mixed clever swing charts and pop sound included Tommy Dorsey (“The Music Goes Round and Round” and “On Treasure Island) as well as “Sweet” orchestras in the likes of Guy Lombardo (“The Broken Record”), Paul Whiteman (“Wah-Hoo”) and Hal Kemp (“When I’m With You”). and Crooners include Bing Crosby as on “The Touch Of Your Lips”, Rudy Valley with “There’s Always A Happy Ending “ and hoofer Fred Astaire who used film as well as records to debut such timeless tunes as “”Let Yourself Go”, “I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket” and “Let’s Face The Music And Dance”.
Straight ahead swingers include the fun and raucous Fats Waller with “A Little Bit Independent” and the wonderful “All My Life” as well as Duke Ellington on “Love Is Like A CIgarette, “Fletcher Henderson’s “Until Today” “Andy Kirk’s “Until The Real Thing Comes Along” with the falsetto voice of Pha Terrell and trumpeter Wingy Manone’s “Please Believe Me”.
Of course vocal groups like the highly influential Boswell Sisters are featured on “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter”, showing evidence that for possibly the only time in America’s history, the best music in the country was also the best.