Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage as the First Black-and-White Jazz Band in History

Expressive poetry honors the first widely seen integrated jazz performance: the debut of the Benny Goodman quartet with Teddy Wilson in Chicago in 1936.

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.

Written in exuberant verse paired with vibrant watercolor paintings, this expressive story explodes off the pages. Nonfiction back matter detailing the events that led to the groundbreaking performance is included, making this an exceptional resource for educators and students.