Benny Goodman-the King of Swing in Avalon

October 29, 10:50 AMSwing and Big Band ExaminerRick Busciglio

On a recent California cruise where I was the guest lecturer, we visited Catalina Island's famous Avalon Casino Ballroom (Photo: Rick Busciglio). Famous as the world's largest circular ballroom and scene of probably thousands of nights of Big Band dances, the dance floor capacity was 6000.  Sadly, it is quiet now with the bands long gone, but the large room has been beautifully restored.  

The mystery to me was always how did it succeed so far from the city. The island sits 26 miles off the coast of California, just as the 1950's hit song proclaimed. The locals explained that dancers boarded a large ferry in LA that not only provided transportation to the ballroom pier, but also provided food and music for dancing in both directions, thus you could dance across the water, dance in the ballroom and then dance all the way back to Los Angeles! The cost was under $2 per person.

 One of the many bands to play the ballroom was the Benny Goodman orchestra. Island legend claims that Goodman walked down to the Avalon waterfront with its cluster of small restaurants for dinner one night and discovered the great vibraphone player...............Lionel Hampton.