Benny Goodman's Carnegie Concert and Legends in Concert

    近年我越来越喜欢听Jazz music，曾试着写帖子，可终究还是感觉到自己的一知半解。于是，这两天我正在读《Jazz - an introduction to the histroy and legends behind America's music》。

    我们大都欣赏folk songs，民谣是植根于每个国度每种民族的悠远古朴的音乐形式。美国相对算年轻的国家，美式民谣的历史大概也就能追溯到一百年多一点的时间。country music是最早的白人民谣，黑人民谣则以南北战争之后南方黑奴在劳动时喜欢哼唱的African-American-style Blues （布鲁斯或称蓝调音乐）作为起点。蓝调衍生出两大著名黑人音乐风格 ---Jazz and Gospel music（爵士音乐和教堂音乐）。

    要欣赏Jazz就需要先理解这种音乐的个性所在。跟据书中的描述，Jazz key elements 包括了rhythmic expression (节奏式表达）, improvisation（即兴）, call-and-response（呼应式演唱） and narrative techniques（叙事技巧）, and interactive spirituality（灵性互动）。

    为我们熟知的最早的Jazz legend无疑是黑人音乐家Louis Armstrong，但今天我要介绍的"King of Swing" - Benny Goodman是一位芝加哥白人音乐家，他是三十年代第一个把爵士音乐带进白人世界、从此让爵士成为美国的主流音乐形式之一、并让爵士登上大雅之堂 ---Carnegie Hall的一位了不起的爵士界传奇人物!

    下面请欣赏我在YouTube找到的几个珍贵视频。

Benny Goodman Orchestra - "Sing, Sing, Sing"(1937 movie “Hollywood Hotel“）

Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall (1938): The Performance of a Lifetime

Benny Goodman - Legends in Concert

The following footnotes are copied from the original poster of this video.

This entertaining programme shows performances from Benny Goodman and his band, with some of their all time favourites. The show Benny Goodman's final concert at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark. Featuring well-known classics, including 'Lady Be Good,' 'If I had You' and 'The World is Waiting For The Sunrise.' There are also two guest appearances from Svend Asmussen and Jimmy Maxwell.

1. Lady Be Good
2. Poor Butterfly
3. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
4. I'm Confessin' That I Love You
5. Medley: Don't Be That Way / Stompin' At The Savoy
6. I Should Care
7. If I Had You
8. Improvisation
9. Send In The Clowns
10. So Easy To Remember, So Hard To Forget
11. Airmail Special Delivery