Harry Goodman
Harry Goodman (born June 21, 1906, in Chicago, Illinois, US; died October 22, 1997, in Gstaad, Switzerland) was an American jazz musician (double bass and tuba) who later became a music publisher. He was an active professional musician from the mid-1920s through 1939, participating in 208 recording sessions. His first recording (“’Deed I Do”) was made in late 1926 with Ben Pollack and His Californians, which also included Glenn Miller, his brother Benny Goodman, Gil Rodin, Fud Livingston, and vocalist Frank Sylvano. In the following years, he played on recordings with the studio bands of Benny Goodman, Jimmy McHugh, Jack Pettis, and producer Irving Mills. In the 1930s, he also participated in recordings by Hoagy Carmichael (“Rockin’ Chair”), Jack Teagarden, Red Nichols, Gil Rodin, The Charleston Chasers, Wingy Manone, Harry Rosenthal, Red McKenzie’s Mound City Blue Blowers, Teddy Wilson, and Lionel Hampton, among others. He was a member of the Benny Goodman Orchestra from 1934 to 1939, including the 1938 concert that was the first jazz performance at Carnegie Hall. He also appeared in the television series American Masters. After he left his brother’s band in the spring of 1939, he never performed as a bassist again. He ran various businesses, including a restaurant in Manhattan. He and his younger brother Gene (Eugene) Goodman founded a music publishing company, Regent Music. They later started Jewel Music and, in 1953, ARC Music, with Leonard and Phil Chess. Goodman spent much of later years in France and died in Switzerland at age 91. Although Harry Goodman played with many of the great swing music ensembles, he was not considered one of the great bassists. John Goldsby called him “a good journeyman player with the right family name.” Gunther Schuller wrote "Harry Goodman was at best competent but, more often than not, weak." |
Birth and Death Data: Born (Chicago (city and county seat of Cook County, and largest city in State of Illinois, United States of America)), Died October 22, 1997 (Gstaad (village in the municipality of Saanen in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1939
Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass, tuba, songwriter
Notes: Brother of Benny Goodman. Tuba and string bass player.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 80 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BVE-62301 | 10-in. | 5/21/1930 | Barnacle Bill, the sailor | Hoagy Carmichael Orchestra ; Carson Robison | Jazz/dance band, with 2 male vocal solos and male vocal chorus | instrumentalist, tuba | |
| Victor | MS-92210 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Makin' whoopee | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92211 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | I would do most anything for you | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92212 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Rose room | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92213 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Pardon my love | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92214 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | St. Louis blues | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92215 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Can't we be friends | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92216 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Royal Garden blues | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92217 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | When we're alone | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92218 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Sometimes I'm happy | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92219 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Anything goes | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92220 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Down by the river | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92221 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Ding dong daddy from Dumas | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | MS-92222 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late April 1935 | Stompin' at the Savoy | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-92546 | 10-in. | 7/1/1935 | Sometimes I'm happy | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-92547 | 10-in. | 7/1/1935 | King Porter | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-92549 | 10-in. | 7/1/1935 | Jingle bells | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-96299 | 10-in. | 11/22/1935 | Sandman | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | PBS-97017 | 10-in. | 9/27/1935 | Madhouse | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-02103 | 10-in. | 10/7/1936 | Riffin' at the Ritz | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-02460 | 10-in. | 11/5/1936 | Bugle call rag | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-03549 | 10-in. | 12/9/1936 | When you and I were young, Maggie | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-03550 | 10-in. | 12/9/1936 | Gee! But you're swell | Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Helen Ward | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-03551 | 10-in. | 12/9/1936 | Smoke dreams | Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Helen Ward | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-03552 | 10-in. | 12/9/1936 | Swing low, sweet chariot | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Goodman, Harry," accessed January 4, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100167.
Goodman, Harry. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 4, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100167.
"Goodman, Harry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 4 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Goodman, Harry (Tubist) - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n00075826
Wikidata: Harry Goodman (musician) - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q109123293
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