Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller at Carnegie Hall 1939: The Battle of the Big Bands

A year after Benny’s triumphant Carnegie Hall 1938 debut, he returned, and this time The King of Swing challenged the new kid on the block, Glenn Miller.

Both bands were out to impress, and the result was one of the hardest-hitting nights in swing music’s history.

Pete Long and his superb band have performed Benny Goodman’s famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert over 50 times in the last decade. Now he proudly presents his 14-piece Goodman-Miller Tribute Orchestra in their re-creation of the Benny Goodman-Glenn Miller Battle of the Big Bands.

Goodman’s Orchestra featured their massive hit Sing Sing Sing alongside such favourites as Don’t Be That Way, Bach Goes to Town and One O’Clock Jump. (Benny also played dirty and featured Glenn Miller’s latest hit Sunrise Serenade – well, it was a battle and he wanted to win!)

Glenn Miller and his Orchestra had just recently hit the big time and their summer 1939 hit Little Brown Jug had sold over a million copies so this classic featured in their programme as did the most famous swing tune of all time In The Mood. Complementing the hard swingers were the sentimental ballads such as Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) and Stairway to the Stars.

Who won the battle? Come and decide for yourself!

“Go and hear it the next chance you get, whatever age you are. Its memory will add joyous years to your life.” (Dick Laurie, Hot News International)