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Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson Taking the Stage as the First Black-and-White Jazz Band in History

Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson Taking the Stage as the First Black-and-White Jazz Band in History

Reviewed by: Barbara Merritt - Scarborough School Department, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 26, 2015

Review

The true story of Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson becoming (with Gene Krupa) the Benny Goodman trio is told in this book. The unlikely meeting of Benny, a poor Jewish boy and Teddy Wilson, the son of professors at Tuskegee Institute at a party in New York leads to their playing together and developing swing music. Blue and yellow tones punched with red create illustrations that draw the reader into the story. Text is told almost in punches, reminiscent of the swing music Teddy and Benny played. Pictures of the dancers and the crowd really show the fun people had with their music. They went on to become the first racially mixed group to play in public and to great renown. Good background information and a timeline are included at the back of the book.

Overall Book Score: very good