Benny Goodman – Complete Capitol Trios

Benny Goodman’s legacy is a complicated one, to say the least, and I don’t intend to unravel it here. Instead, what I intend to do is recommend to you a record that should go a long way towards reminding you that all other matters aside, the man could create musical beauty of unparalleled grace with nothing more than a clarinet, a piano, and a drum kit.

There are no revolutions afoot here. There is no wildness of youth. There is no gravitas of age. This is middle-period music of a master. It’s perfection. It’s a clinic. It’s timeless.

It’s required listening.