Benny Goodman Quartet

Benny Goodman, clarinet
Teddy Wilson, piano
Lionel Hampton, vibraphone
Gene Krupa, drums

    The small combo idea was never entirely discarded. Most large bands also had a small group made up of the better jazz players in the band. The smaller combo played during intermissions of the large band, and sometimes the small group built up its own personal following. In his band, Goodman had a trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, and even septet, depending upon the personnel in his band.

    The trend toward large bands did not necessarily forecast the dearth of exciting small groups.  In the late 1930s and into the mid 1940s almost all large bands had what was termed a band within the band.  Examples within the bag swing bands would be Benny Goodmans trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, and septet, Tommy Dorseys Clambake Seven, Artie Shaws Gramercy Five, Bob Crosbys Bobcats, Woody Hermans Woodchoppers, and Paul Witemans Swing Wing.  These groups actually gave the fine soloists out of the band, more freedom than that offered the dixieland bands.  The only guideline was that each player take his turn soloing.  Usually, but not always, these groups resorted to Chicago Style Dixieland and much of the same protocol from that style was evident.  The difference was that the players were now deeply into a different rhythmic feeling and swing four-four was prevalent.  The really did not sound like traditional dixieland but like small band swing.  The final chorus of a tune was often an opportunity for group improvisation but it differed from the dixieland concept of instrumental duties that crafted the complete improvisational image.  It was more a case of the players merely soloing together rather than a division of duties more typical of the dixieland group improvisation protocol.
