The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert is a landmark live album by Benny Goodman, recorded on January 16, 1938, and released in 1950. This concert marked the first time a jazz big band performed at Carnegie Hall, a venue traditionally reserved for classical music, symbolizing jazz's acceptance into mainstream American culture. Goodman's orchestra, featuring talents like Harry James, Gene Krupa, and Lionel Hampton, delivered a dynamic performance that included classics such as Sing, Sing, Sing and One O'Clock Jump. The event also featured a historic jam session with members of the Duke Ellington and Count Basie bands, showcasing an unprecedented level of racial integration on stage. Initially thought to be unrecorded, the concert's acetates were discovered years later, leading to its release as one of the first double LPs and live jazz albums, eventually selling over a million copies. The album has since been reissued multiple times, preserving the energy and significance of a night that forever changed the landscape of jazz music.
