Roundtable: The Benny Goodman Sextet at Basin Street East, 1954

Hal Smith: During the seemingly endless nationwide lockdown, I have enjoyed one positive experience: participating in a series of video discussions regarding the Benny Goodman Orchestra, 1934-36, with emphasis on the rhythm section. The programs are hosted by Loren Schoenberg, with Nick Rossi and this writer as guests. Loren—based in New York City—is a professional musician, bandleader, historian, author, expert on the music of Benny Goodman and Lester Young, Senior Scholar at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and two-time Grammy Award winner for album notes. Nick is also a full-time musician, bandleader and historian (and writer and painter) living in San Francisco. The recordings we have discussed were made during a time when Goodman and his musicians had not reached the apex of their success. The Swing Era was just beginning and rhythm concepts and techniques were still evolving. It is fascinating for us to compare and contrast the playing of Frank Froeba vs. Jess Stacy; George Van Eps vs. Allan Reuss, Harry Goodman vs. Israel Crosby and Sammy Weiss vs. Gene Krupa. We have also commented on solos and ensemble work by Bunny Berigan, Nate Kazebier, Pee Wee Erwin, Joe Harris and Art Rollini, arrangements by Spud Murphy, Fletcher Henderson and Jimmy Mundy (and of course the consistently wonder