Randall's Island Municipal Stadium,
29 May 1938: Count Basie's orchestra with soloist Lester Young at the
Carnival of Swing. Other orchestras included Duke Ellington, Gene Krupa,
Vincent Lopez, Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club, Kay Kyser, Artie Shaw... and
vocalists Ella Fitzgerald (still a teenager), Ivie Smith... Sponsored by
Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, the concert drew a
totally integrated crowd of more than 23,000 and lasted for nearly
six hours.
References:
- Carnival of Swing, Uncovering a Historic Jazz Concert at Randall's Island Stadium, 1938, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 25 September 2018.
- Carnival of Swing, Wikipedia.
- Carnival of Swing, Youtube (search for more; there used to be videos that lasted 20 or 30 minutes but they're gone now).