Klarinet Archive - Posting 000484.txt from 1995/05

From: Josias Associates <josassoc@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: BG on cornet
Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 06:40:31 -0400

On Sun, 14 May 1995, Michael A. Cassara wrote:

> Hi gang,
> I was listening to the local jazz station the other night and to my
> amazement the host put on a record of Benny Goodman playing the cornet. I
> had heard of this but never thought much of it. Now that I've heard part of
> the record I went to Ross Firestones great biography of BG and checked it
> out. On page 49 it says that Benny played clarinet, cornet, bari sax, and
> alto sax on this date.
> Does anyone know if these are in print? Are they on Cd? What is the
> name of the album? All I know is that it was a date for Walter Melrose and
> NBC.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike Cassara,
> Cleveland, Ohio
>

Mike,

This business about Goodman's playing cornet or trumpet is very
interesting. About two or three years ago, while I was getting a haircut,
I noticed that my barber, who is a professional trumpeter, had a jazz
calendar hanging on the wall, and that the musician pictured for that month
was Benny Goodman playing, of all things, a trumpet.

He cut out the picture and gave it to me, and it is now framed,
hanging in a prominent place in my home. Part of what's so interesting to
me about the picture is that so many people who should recognize Goodman
seem to draw a blank when they look at it, invariably asking, "Who's the
trumpet player?"

I knew that one of Goodman's brothers played trumpet, which led
me to suspect that his brother or someone else suggested that Goodman
use their horn as a prop in posing for a prank photograph as a
trumpeter. Now I realize from your message that the man actually
could play the instrument."

Connie

Conrad Josias
La Canada, California