Ephraim Goldberg collection on Benny Goodman

Ephraim Goldberg was a World War II veteran and accountant who worked and lived in Long Beach, New York. A Benny Goodman enthusiast, he amassed a comprehensive collection of Benny Goodman recordings and other memorabilia.

Benny Goodman (1909–1986), the American clarinetist and bandmaster, was an influential musician during the twentieth century. Known also as "The King of Swing," Benny Goodman was born into a poor family of immigrants in Chicago. He began his performing career early, establishing himself as a leading performer and session musician by his late teens. He neglected his education to work full time as a musician. Goodman performed at notable venues such as Carnegie Hall – the first time jazz had ever been performed there. He is credited as helping to bring jazz and swing, formerly seen as an underground art form, to the mainstream American public.

Over the course of his life, Goodman became increasingly interested in classical music. He began taking lessons from the British clarinetist Reginald Kell. Kell required that Goodman change his embouchure, permanently changing his sound. As a result, Goodman lost some of his former popularity. He put out several recordings of classical pieces and also commissioned works to perform, including Belá Bartók’s Contrasts for clarinet, violin, and piano. Though his popularity had declined in his later years, he continued practicing until his death in 1986.