Swing a Benny Goodman story

Description

With this album, Pierre Génisson honors the legacy of the “King of Swing” and his worldwide hits: Benny Goodman. Both a composer and conductor, the Chicago-born clarinetist and audience favorite spent his entire career moving between jazz and classical music. He was the first to open the doors of the monumental Carnegie Hall — temple of classical music — to jazz and Black musicians, on the occasion of a legendary concert in 1938. If his interpretations of jazz standards have gone down in history, his contribution to the serious music of his time was just as considerable: he distinguished himself in Aaron Copland’s Concerto, Leonard Bernstein’s Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, and Stravinsky’s Ebony Concerto. By bringing together on this record these emblematic works and timeless hits such as “Sweet Georgia Brown” or the irresistible “Sing, sing, sing,” Pierre Génisson makes the legend of his illustrious predecessor shine and, alongside the electrifying musicians of the BBC Concert Orchestra, offers a masterful display of his talent.