Benny Goodman was a clarinettist and band leader, equally at home with small bands or fronting a large orchestra, whose music covered the spectrum of jazz and popular music in the four decades spanning WWII, and who earned the nickname of “The King Of Swing” as a pioneer of that style of jazz. He was so popular and successful that he racked up well over 150 hits in the quarter century or so from 1930 to the early ‘50s, so many indeed that we were present them in two volumes – this great-value 94-track 4-CD covers the years from 1931-38, and the 3-CD set “The Benny Goodman Hits Collection Vol. 2 1939-53” (ACTRCD9137) deals with the rest. This collection comprises all hits with his orchestra and small bands during these years on the Melotone, Columbia and Victor labels. It features his No. 1 hits from these years “Moon Glow”, “It’s Been So Long”, “Goody-Goody”, “The Glory of Love”, “These Foolish Things”, “You Turned The Tables On Me”, “Goodnight My Love”, “This Year’s Kisses”, “Don’t Be That Way” and “I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart”, with performances by featured vocalists Jack Teagarden, Billie Holiday, Mildred Bailey, Scrappy Lambert, Ann Graham, Helen Ward, Ray Hendricks, Margaret McCrae, Jimmy Rushing, Betty Van and Martha Tilton. It’s a fascinating and enlightening overview of a key era of popular music when swing arrived on the scene, and a fine showcase for one of the most influential musicians of his times. – 1 – 1. Hes Not Worth Your Tears 2. Aint Cha Glad 3. I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues 4. Riffin the Scotch 5. Love Me or Leave Me 6. Ol Pappy 7. Basin Street Blues 8. I Aint Lazy, Im Just Dreamin 9. Moonglow 10. Take My Word 11. It Happens To the Best of Friends 12. Bugle Call Rag 13. Im a Hundred Per Cent For You 14. Blue Moon 15. Throwin Stones At the Sun 16. Music Hall Rag 17. Night Wind 18. Clouds 19. I Was Lucky 20. Singing a Happy Song 21. The Dixieland Band 22. The Dixieland Band 23. Youre a Heavenly Thing – 2 – 1. Japanese Sandman 2. Ballad In Blue 3. Body and Soul 4. After Youve Gone 5. Sometimes Im Happy 6. King Porter 7. Jingle Bells 8. No Other One 9. Eenie Meenie Miney Mo 10. Goodbye 11. Its Been So Long 12. Goody-Goody 13. Christopher Columbus 14. I Know That You Know 15. The Glory of Love 16. You Cant Pull the Wool Over My Eyes 17. Star Dust 18. These Foolish Things Remind Me of You 19. China Boy 20. Stompin At the Savoy 21. Swingtime In the Rockies 22. In a Sentimental Mood 23. Moonglow 24. You Turned the Tables On Me – 3 – 1. Heres Love In Your Eyes 2. Love Me or Leave Me 3. Exactly Like You 4. St. Louis Blues 5. Organ Grinders Swing 6. When a Lady Meets a Gentleman Down South 7. Bugle Call Rag 8. Goodnight, My Love 9. Smoke Dreams 10. Gee! But Youre Swell 11. This Years Kisses 12. He Aint Got Rhythm 13. Never Should Have Told You 14. I Want To Be Happy 15. Stompin At the Savoy 16. Peckin 17. Afraid To Dream 18. The Man I Love 19. Bob White 20. Cant Teach My Old Heart New Tricks 21. Loch Lomond 22. You Took the Words Right Out of My Heart 23. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen – 4 – 1. Its Wonderful 2. Dont Be That Way 3. One OClock Jump 4. Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) 5. Please Be Kind 6. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart 7. Feelin High and Happy 8. Whyd Ya Make Me Fall In Love 9. The Flat Foot Floogee 10. (Ive Been) Savin Myself For You 11. What Goes On Here In My Heart 12. A Little Kiss At Twilight 13. Lullaby In Rhythm 14. Ive Got a Date With a Dream 15. Could You Pass In Love 16. When I Go A-Dreamin 17. Bumble Bee Stomp 18. Is That a Way To Treat a Sweetheart 19. What Have You Got That Gets Me 20. This Cant Be Love 21. Topsy 22. I Have Eyes 23. Youre a Sweet Little Headache 24. I Must See Annie Tonight
