The King of Swing! Famed clarinetist, composer ("Stompin' at the Savoy") and conductor, educated at the Lewis Institute in Chicago and a student of Schillinger and Schoepp. He was a clarinetist with the orchestras of Bix Beiderbecke, Jules Herbuveaux, Arnold Johnson and Ben Pollack, and also played in Broadway theater orchestras. He began to lead his own orchestras in 1934 at the Billy Rose Music Hall, then conducted the orchestra on the weekly radio program "Let's Dance" in 1934-1935, and played at numerous hotels, colleges and theaters. Expanding his musical efforts, he performed in chamber music concerts, later touring throughout the US, Europe, the Far East, South America and the USSR and made many recordings. Joining ASCAP in 1945, his chief musical collaborators included Count Basie, Harry James, Mitchell Parish, Andy Razaf, Edgar M. Sampson, Chick Webb, and Teddy Wilson. Some of his other popular songs and instrumental compositions include "Lullaby in Rhythm," "Don't Be That Way," "Seven Come Eleven," "Flying Home," "Two O'Clock Jump," "Air Mail Special," "Dizzy Spells," "If Dreams Come True," "Georgia Jubilee," "Four Once More," and "The Kingdom of Swing".

Filmography

• 2026Tag! You’re It! — Original Music Composer
• 2004Legends in Concert: Benny Goodman
• 2001Swing With Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Tony Bennett
• 2000Louis Armstrong & Benny Goodman - Sounds in Motion
• 1983Åke Hasselgård story
• The South Bank Show
• 1963Sackgasse — Original Music Composer
• 1955Music Land — Orchestra Leader (archive footage)
• 1948A Song Is Born — Professor Magenbruch
• 1946All the Cats Join In
• 1944Sweet and Low-Down — Benny Goodman
• 1943Stage Door Canteen — Benny Goodman
• 1943The Gang's All Here — Benny Goodman
• 1942Syncopation — Benny Goodman
• 1938Hollywood Hotel — Benny Goodman, Leader of His Orchestra
• 1936The Big Broadcast of 1937 — Benny Goodman

Appearances as themselves (30)

• 2022Charlie Parker: Bird Songs — Self (archive footage)
• Jazz — Self (archive footage)
• 2000The Sid Caesar Collection: The Magic of Live TV — Self (archive footage)
• 1994The World of Polygoon — Self (archive footage)
• 1993Benny Goodman - Adventures In The Kingdom Of Swing — Self (archive footage)
• Bio’s Bahnhof — Self
• 1978Mitzi... What's Hot, What's Not — Self
• The Kennedy Center Honors — Self
• 1976Copland Conducts Copland — Self - Clarinet
• 1975Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? — Self (archive footage)
• Le Grand Échiquier — Self
• The Dick Cavett Show — Self - Guest
• The Danny Kaye Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self
• 1959John Gunther's High Road — Self
• The Bell Telephone Hour — Self
• The Big Party — Self
• 1958The All-Star Christmas Show — Self
• DuPont Show of the Month — Self
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show — Self
• 1955Allen in Movieland — Self
• 1954Two for the Record — Self
• What's My Line? — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self
• 1946Make Mine Music — Self (voice)
• 1944The Shining Future — Self
• 1943The Powers Girl — Self - Orchestra Conductor (uncredited)
• 1941Birth of the Blues — Self (archive footage)
• 1929Me and the Boys — Self - Clarinet