"Goodbye" (sometimes written "Good-Bye") is a song by American composer and arranger
Gordon Jenkins
Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Lo ...
, published in 1935. It became well known as the closing theme song of the
Benny Goodman orchestra.
Jenkins had written the song when working with the
Isham Jones orchestra, and Jones allegedly rejected it as it was "too sad".
Music critic
Alec Wilder described "Goodbye" as "as sad a song I know" and
Leonard Feather
Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing.
Biography
Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...
called it among his "top ten songs it would be hardest to tire of hearing".
Origin
Jenkins' son, the sportswriter Bruce Jenkins, wrote a biography of his father entitled ''Goodbye: In Search of Gordon Jenkins''. While researching the biography, Jenkins interviewed the singer
Martha Tilton
Martha Tilton (November 14, 1915 – December 8, 2006) was an American popular singer during America's swing era and traditional pop period. She is best known for her 1939 recording of " And the Angels Sing" with Benny Goodman.
Tilton was born ...
, who had performed with the
Benny Goodman orchestra. Tilton revealed that the song was written by Jenkins after the death of his first wife in childbirth.
Recordings
The song was used as the closing theme for radio broadcasts by the Benny Goodman orchestra. They recorded it on September 27, 1935, and that was issued as Victor 25215 on January 8, 1936.
Upon Goodman's death in 1986,
Richard Stoltzman
Richard Leslie Stoltzman (born July 12, 1942) is an American clarinetist. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent his early years in San Francisco, California, and Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating from Woodward High School in 1960. Today, Stoltzman is part ...
commissioned an arrangement of "Goodbye" by
Bill Jenkins for clarinet and strings. The resulting "Goodbye: In Memory of Benny" was recorded by Stoltzman and
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orc ...
under the direction of
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy based in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of ...
in 1992.
[Liner notes by John Wiser (1993) accompanying "Richard Stoltzman: Copland Clarinet Concerto" on RCA]
/ref> Another arrangement in tribute to Benny Goodman has also been recorded by Sabine Meyer
Sabine Meyer (born 30 March 1959) is a German classical clarinetist.
Biography
Born in Crailsheim, Baden-Württemberg, Meyer began playing the clarinet at an early age. Her first teacher was her father, also a clarinetist. She studied with Otto ...
.
Goodbye was also recorded by Frank Sinatra for his 1958 album, ''Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
''Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely'' (1958, also known as ''Sings for Only the Lonely'' or simply ''Only the Lonely'') is an album by Frank Sinatra.
The album consists of a collection of torch songs, following a formula similar to Sinatra' ...
'', and Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
for her 1982 album ''The Best Is Yet to Come
"The Best Is Yet to Come" is a 1959 song composed by Cy Coleman to lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. It is associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on his 1964 album ''It Might as Well Be Swing'' accompanied by Count Basie under the direction ...
''. Sinatra and Fitzgerald's versions were both arranged by Nelson Riddle.
* Frank Sinatra - ''Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
''Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely'' (1958, also known as ''Sings for Only the Lonely'' or simply ''Only the Lonely'') is an album by Frank Sinatra.
The album consists of a collection of torch songs, following a formula similar to Sinatra' ...
'' (1958)
* Julie London - '' Julie...At Home'' (1960)
* Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s.
Adderley is perhaps best remembered for the 1966 soul jazz single " Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", wh ...
and Bill Evans - '' Know What I Mean?'' (Riverside, 1961)
* June Christy - '' Big Band Specials'' (1962)
* Clare Fischer
Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorat ...
- '' Easy Livin''' (1963)
* Donna Hightower
Donna Lubertha Hightower (December 28, 1926 – August 19, 2013) was an American R&B, soul and jazz singer and songwriter, who recorded and released albums for the Decca and Capitol labels. Later in her career she was based in Europe, where s ...
- ''I'm In Love with Love'' (recorded for Columbia in Spain, released also as "I'm in Love with You" and "The One I Cried") (1974)
* Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
- ''The Best Is Yet to Come
"The Best Is Yet to Come" is a 1959 song composed by Cy Coleman to lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. It is associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on his 1964 album ''It Might as Well Be Swing'' accompanied by Count Basie under the direction ...
'' (Pablo, 1982)
* Linda Ronstadt
Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...
with Nelson Riddle - '' What's New'' (1983)
* Richard Stoltzman
Richard Leslie Stoltzman (born July 12, 1942) is an American clarinetist. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent his early years in San Francisco, California, and Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating from Woodward High School in 1960. Today, Stoltzman is part ...
- ''New York Counterpoint'' (RCA, 1987)
* Eddie Henderson - ''Flight of Mind
Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be ...
'' (Steeplechase, 1991)
* Lizz Wright
Elizabeth LaCharla Wright (born January 22, 1980) is an American jazz and gospel singer.
Life and career
Wright was born in the small town of Hahira, Georgia, one of three children and the daughter of a minister and the musical director of t ...
- ''Salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
'' (Verve, 2003)
* Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than 50 years. In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking ...
Quartet West, with Diana Krall
Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard'' maga ...
as a guest artist - ''Sophisticated Ladies
''Sophisticated Ladies'' is a musical revue based on the music of Duke Ellington. The musical ran on Broadway in 1981–83, earning 2 awards and 8 nominations at the 35th Tony Awards.
Production
''Sophisticated Ladies'' opened on Broadway at th ...
'' (EmArcy, 2010)
* Keith Jarrett / Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than 50 years. In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking ...
- '' Jasmine (album)'' (ECM, 2010)
References
External links
*"Goodbye" a
jazzstandards.com
{{authority control
1935 songs
Songs written by Gordon Jenkins
Nancy Wilson (jazz singer) songs
Benny Goodman songs
Frank Sinatra songs
1930s jazz standards