Joining Benny Goodman

Abstract

At the first rehearsal with Goodman we played Edgar Sampson’s Stompin’ at the Savoy and several arrangements that Irving Szathmary had written. Billy Rose had hired Lou Foreman, a middle-aged man, to conduct the show. (Benny could not conduct.) The saxes consisted of Benny Kantor on first alto, Hymie Shertzer on third sax (and violin for the intended show) and yours truly on tenor sax. Eddie Wade was on first trumpet, Russ Case on second trumpet and Jerry Neary on third. (Sammy Shapiro later replaced Eddie Wade on first.) The trombones consisted of Jack Lacey on first and Red Ballard on second. Stan King was on drums (later replaced by Sammy Weiss), Claude Thornhill on piano, and Hank Wayland on bass.