A Pleasant Surprise from a Familiar Song
Throughout the first half of this course, I have been exposed to several artists and sounds I previously had little to no knowledge of. A few artists I did recognize and a few sounds I did find familiar; most notably the piece “Sing, Sing, Sing” which I identified as the song from the Chips Ahoy Cookies commercials. After viewing a live rendition of this song, I now believe that it is much more than background music. Benny Goodman and his orchestra are simply phenomenal here. It opens with a very energetic Gene Krupa on drums; the rhythm is so clear and hypnotic that I found myself immediately swaying along with the beat. From there, trombones, trumpets, saxophones, and the rest of the band-along with Goodman himself on his clarinet- join in. Then the music really picks up with the trumpets and trombones growing louder while switching off and back again with Krupa constantly at his drums; every now and then both die down for a solo from Goodman. This rapid tempo and the lively spirit of the song reflect the fun loving swing era. I see how it appealed to a younger audience with its “violent enthusiasm for [a] Harlem-based sound” (Gottlieb). What surprised me the most is that, after a solo by Harry James on trumpet and Goodman on clarinet, the song takes a drastic shift. It stops momentarily and picks up with a xylophone, piano, and clarinet-Goodman-being quickly played; each artist having a moment to shine. Watching the xylophonist was the most fun; not only did I feel that his