Benny Goodman: The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert (Complete) (Avid, 2006)

No, jazz didn’t need to go to Carnegie Hall to be deemed legit, and yes, it was unfair that a white musician had to be the one to bring it there first. But give Goodman credit; he took Teddy Wilson, Johnny Hodges, Lester Young, and various other Ellington and Basie regulars along with him, integrating the stage and enlivening the music. And Benny’s men weren’t exactly slouches themselves. A sense of high excitement courses through the album, and the closing theatrics of Harry James, Goodman, Jess Stacy, and Gene Krupa on “Sing, Sing, Sing” make for a superb climax. MAC RANDALL

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