Unlikely we'll ever hear anything like this again. Bands don't use the same instruments they made back then, so the fundamental sound of a jazz band is different now, and they don't play five shows per day, six or seven days a week to packed, crazed audiences. The men who played in Goodman's band and others like it back then had the opportunity ( and the pressure) to reach a level of tightness and unity that we can only marvel at now.
[ This is not a comprehensive list, nor is it representative of the "most important" or "best." Instead, following Duke Ellington's adage that the greatest music and musicians are "beyond category", I'm starting 2020 by sharing 100 jazz tunes I feel everyone should have the chance to hear--really just tunes and performances that I love. ]
