Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson, Lesa ClineRansome
Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson, Lesa ClineRansome
List: $9.99 | Sale: $7.00
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Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson
Taking the Stage As the First Black-and-White Jazz Band in History

Author: Lesa Cline-Ransome

Narrator: Sean Crisden

Unabridged: 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/30/2014

Synopsis

It wasn't soft/It wasn't black/It wasn't sweet/It wasn't white/It was swing. Brought together by the love of playing jazz music, Teddy Wilson and Benny Goodman broke the color barrier in entertainment when they formed the Benny Goodman Trio with Gene Krupa. This lush and lyrical picture book tells the story of how two musical prodigies from very different backgrounds - one a young black boy growing up in Tuskegee, Alabama, the other the son of struggling Russian-Jewish immigrants from the West Side of Chicago - were brought together by their love of music, and helped create the jazz style known as swing.

About Lesa Cline-Ransome

Lesa Cline-Ransome is an award-winning writer and editor who has written more than ten picture books for children, including two ALA Notable books. A graduate of the Pratt Institute, she holds a Master's Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from NYU. Based in Rhinebeck, New York, she is married to artist and illustrator James E. Ransome, with whom she frequently collaborates.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Alex

Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson traces the very different backgrounds of two very talented musicians who eventually met and formed the first interracial trio to play in public. In the 1920s, Jazz was the music of the moment. Benny Goodman, the son of Jewish immigrants and living in Chicago, learned to......more

Goodreads review by Shaye

This book focuses on Benny's experiences as blacks and whites began performing together (in a time where this was seen as unacceptable). A beautiful, but brief chronicling of his major experiences ranging from his childhood introduction to music to his experiences up on the big stage. It wasn't soft I......more

Goodreads review by Ben

Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage as the First Black-And-White Jazz Band in History is a children's picture book written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E. Ransome. It highlights the innovative, barrier-breaking collaboration of African-American Wilson and Jewish-American......more

Goodreads review by Kristen

I really wanted to like this book as we enjoy music of the 1930s-1940s including swing, jazz, etc. but I found it difficult for my kids to follow as I read it aloud. It seems like the text was written in a way to initiate the sounds of the music but that just made it a bit too complex for bedtime re......more

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