Benny Goodman - The Complete Capitol Trios (Capitol)

It’s a rare occasion when I choose to duplicate music in my collection. Eyeing this disc in a budget rack several weeks ago prompted one such decision. I’m pretty sure all of the material is contained on the Goodman Mosaic set currently buried in a cardboard box in my closet, but not having it handy made the prospect of a catch-all single disc seem like a sound investment. Ken Burns’ lionizing of Goodman as a consummate Caucasian jazz technician did little to fortify his reputation with postbop and free jazz cognoscenti. These twenty sides, taped by four different Goodman trios in ’47 and ’54 make as strong a case as I can think of for reconsidering the claim. Goodman’s clarinet is a beguiling marvel and his pianistic partners respond with poise and personality. Given his illustrious history with the clarinetist, Teddy Wilson tends to garner the most consistent praise, but Jimmy Rowles and Mel Powell, two disparate and highly adroit technicians in their own right, give as good as they get. By comparison, the string of drummers starting with Jimmy Crawford and tying off with Bobby Donaldson isn’t as dynamic, but each does a respectable job on sticks and brushes. Anyone arguing Goodman as starch-collared or stiff-backed need only audition smoking numbers like “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and “There’ll Be Some Changes Made” to have such allegations summarily dashed. It’s interesting to note that the later cuts, while recorded in the LP era, still adhere to the time strictures of 78s. Goodman doesn’t need any extra time. His lines evince the elegance and symmetry of cursive script, tracing melodies with a toothsome tone that never seems to falter or sour. I’ve taken to listening to this disc on commutes in the city where the temperature of the pavement often parallels rising driver temperaments. It’s proved the ideal reagent in reattaching unglued nerves and keeping an even emotional keel.