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³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Local Radio for the East region is celebrating the life and work of "King of Swing" Benny Goodman tomorrow (Saturday 30 May) between 11.00pm and 1.00am, to commemorate 100 years since the musician was born.

Paul Barnes will be presenting a special one-off edition of his popular Late Paul Barnes show marking the centenary of Benny Goodman across ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Norfolk, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Suffolk, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Cambridgeshire, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Essex, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Northampton, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three Counties and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Kent.

Benny Goodman was one of the biggest jazz musicians of his time and one of the most prolific and long-lasting performers of the swing era, performing for well over 60 years. He was also one of only three of his peers from the big band era to have a Hollywood biopic devoted to them.

Goodman's band backed Billie Holiday's first recording and was also the first swing band to appear at Carnegie Hall.

Besides being a great jazzman, Goodman was a fine classical player. In 1947 Aaron Copland wrote a clarinet concerto for him but Goodman was so unnerved by its musical demands that he declined to play it in public until 1950.

Many great names figured in Goodman's band over the years – Bunny Berigan, Harry James, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Stan Getz – and Peggy Lee was the band's vocalist for a time.

The Late Paul Barnes programme broadcasts across ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Local Radio stations in the East region and also Radio Kent on Saturday nights, between 11.00pm and 1.00am, featuring his unique mix of classic popular music, jazz, big band, swing and more besides.

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