Flying Home is a jazz title by Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton with lyrics by Sid Robin
Flying Home is a jazz and jump blues composition written by Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton with lyrics by Sid Robin. Hampton conceived the melody while playing in the Benny Goodman band. While waiting for a plane to travel from Los Angeles to Atlantic City, on what would be Hampton's first flight, he began whistling a tune to relieve his nerves. Goodman asked for the tune's name and Hampton replied; "I don't know. We can call it Flying Home, I guess." The Goodman Quartet played it for the first time that evening, and later recorded the first version of the full song, with a guitar solo by Charlie Christian. Hampton subsequently adopted the song as his musical signature. Other musicians on the original recording were Fletcher Henderson on piano, Artie Bernstein on bass and Nick Fatool on drums. Several other groups recorded the tune including Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra, Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra, also Harry James, Chris Connor and Ella Fitzgerald, There is a short version of the song in the 1992 film A League of Their Own and on the movie score album by Hans Zimmer. Flying Home is mentioned in the Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) and a Lindy Hop dance arrangement is featured in the film Malcolm X. In 1996, it won a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Flying Home (1978) is the title of a novel by Morris Lurie who uses references to jazz in his stories.
Benny Goodman (May 1909 – June 1986) was an American clarinettist and bandleader, known as the King of Swing. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16, 1938, is described by critic Bruce Eder as the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz’s coming out party to the world of respectable music. Goodman's bands started the careers of many jazz musicians. During an era of racial segregation, he led one of the first integrated jazz groups, his trio and quartet. He continued performing up until the end of his life while also pursuing an interest in classical music.
Lionel Hampton (April 1908 – August 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus and Quincy Jones. In 1992, he was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, and he was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1996.
