Poor Butterfly and The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise – 1965
Benny Goodman
A ballad and a dazzling romp
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Benny Goodman, who was 56 at the time of this appearance on the Danny Kaye Show in 1965, continued playing the swing music that he loved for decades after the big band era ended in 1946.
He was always one of the giants of the clarinet and, even though his repertoire did not grow much in his later years, he generally found something inspiring to play.
With pianist Lou Levy, bassist Max Bennett, and drummer Colin Bailey, Goodman performs a brief and warm version of “Poor Butterfly” and then takes “The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise” at a racehorse tempo.
Levy has a superb solo chorus and there are brief spots for Bennett and Bailey, but this is very much the King Of Swing’s showcase; his playing is quite exciting.
-Scott Yanow
Ella Fitzgerald