Klarinet Archive - Posting 000343.txt from 1999/10

From: "David B. Niethamer" <dnietham@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] re: Benny
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 15:08:18 -0400

David Glenn wrote:

>At least one of his "classical" performances was incredible: I heard BG
>play the Mozart concerto in London in the mid 1970's.
(SNIP)
>-------------------------

on 10/11/99 10:18 AM, David Blumberg wrote:
>
>I heard him play live with the Norfolk Symphony back in 1977.

Well I've never heard him play live, but I have a Richmond Symphony story
about BG. BG commissioned Gordon Jenkins to write a concerto, which he
did, and it was premiered on a Pops concert here in Richmond in 1976
(before my time here). Jenkins was the composer of BG's radio signature
tune, "Goodbye", and also arranged and conducted for Frank Sinatra, among
other big names in the jazz/pop business. The second half was all BG jazz
charts.

During the 2nd half BG fouled up one of the tunes, to the amusement of a
couple of the RSO clarinetists, who were doubling sax in the "Big Band"
charts. Goodman noticed, and came over between the tunes. He asked them
if they knew what had happened. "Yup, you forgot the bridge" one of them
volunteered. "**YOU** want to play the next one?" BG inquired! (In good
humor, by the report!)

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
dnietham@-----.edu
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/

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