Why doesn't anyone ever talk about Benny Golson? He is one of the best players I've ever heard. Im surprised he isn't included in the Coletrane , Brecker, Parker , Rollins, Lester , Stitt level players. He's just as good if not better than a lot of the above.
craigs
I'm with you. I'm not gonna try to argue though about who is better than whom.
What I appreciate most with him is how he maintained a certain "old school" tenor tone while being totally in the post-bop era.
He sounds a bit like Paul Gonçalves or Lockjaw Davis, but transposed in the hard bop era.
I'm a total fan of his 5tets with Curtis Fuller, 2 horns in a similar range, playing unison.
Not to speak about his contributions as a composer.
You are right, for some reason, he appears a bit in the shadow of Trane, Sonny and Dex. The 4th man. Maybe because he is a typical 5tet man. The tenor playing with .....(you name him)... while Trane, Newk and Dex toured and recorded as 3ios and 4tets.
What I appreciate most with him is how he maintained a certain "old school" tenor tone while being totally in the post-bop era.
He sounds a bit like Paul Gonçalves or Lockjaw Davis, but transposed in the hard bop era.
I'm a total fan of his 5tets with Curtis Fuller, 2 horns in a similar range, playing unison.
Not to speak about his contributions as a composer.
You are right, for some reason, he appears a bit in the shadow of Trane, Sonny and Dex. The 4th man. Maybe because he is a typical 5tet man. The tenor playing with .....(you name him)... while Trane, Newk and Dex toured and recorded as 3ios and 4tets.
I said I’d not be trying any ranking. Never say never.
For the ballads, Dex gets my soul. Mainly due to his use of the low range and his phrasing.
Where BG hits me most are those soulful midtempo tunes, like Jubilation (with Curtis Fuller) or Moanin’ (Messengers). That sound, that slight sizzle in the articulation. My personal definition of the tenor sound.
Oh my …. While writing I’m listening to “Cry A Blue Tear”, from one of his albums. Shhhhh. Amazing. That sound. You are right, his ballad playing is unique.
For the ballads, Dex gets my soul. Mainly due to his use of the low range and his phrasing.
Where BG hits me most are those soulful midtempo tunes, like Jubilation (with Curtis Fuller) or Moanin’ (Messengers). That sound, that slight sizzle in the articulation. My personal definition of the tenor sound.
Oh my …. While writing I’m listening to “Cry A Blue Tear”, from one of his albums. Shhhhh. Amazing. That sound. You are right, his ballad playing is unique.
Incredible player and has contributed to the jazz idiom as much or more than most. In my mind he is a GOAT. Btw, I went to a Benny Golson masterclass and concert in 2018. He wasn’t as nimble at his age but that tone omg.
He was also a very nice gentleman.
I agree he needs to be brought up more often when we speak of those jazz giants.
He was also a very nice gentleman.
I agree he needs to be brought up more often when we speak of those jazz giants.
Amen to all of the above. We must also not forget his contributions to Art Blakey‘s “Moanin’” session. For better or worse, Mr. Golson is known more for his composing and arranging than his playing. He did, after all, write Killer Joe and I Remember Clifford.
For the record, Don Byas and Lucky Thompson were both recording long before 1954.
Benny is from my hometown and I can remember working a concert with him there at the old black musician's local, AFM Local 274, Philadelphia, Pa. The union was segregated back in the day, hence, the legendary 274, which was a who's who of jazz greats. This was a few years after he had returned from Hollywood where he got burned out from the deadlines associated with writing movie and tv scores. He told me that he had not touched his horn for 8 years while he was writing, and getting his chops back in order was not easy.
His sound was incredible that night, Selmer had given him 2 brand new Serie 2 tenors, one for his house in NYC, and one for his house in Paris, and his sound was huge on that shiny new horn. He talked to the audience about his composing and his time in Hollywood, he discussed the tragic element about having to compose "I Remember Clifford," and he also included a couple of little stories about mistakes he had made while composing. He told of being asleep and dreaming the greatest melody he had come up with yet and he rushed downstairs to pencil and paper and wrote it out. But when he got up in the morning, he found that had written the melody to a Horace Silver tune in his sleep! Benny was not above laughing at himself.
So he wasn't in any way controversial, and I think that helped keep the writers and the hype people away from him. He is just a saxophone virtuoso who composes music of the highest order, melodies that will live forever. I'm glad I got to know him and work with him a little bit.
Benny is from my hometown and I can remember working a concert with him there at the old black musician's local, AFM Local 274, Philadelphia, Pa. The union was segregated back in the day, hence, the legendary 274, which was a who's who of jazz greats. This was a few years after he had returned from Hollywood where he got burned out from the deadlines associated with writing movie and tv scores. He told me that he had not touched his horn for 8 years while he was writing, and getting his chops back in order was not easy.
His sound was incredible that night, Selmer had given him 2 brand new Serie 2 tenors, one for his house in NYC, and one for his house in Paris, and his sound was huge on that shiny new horn. He talked to the audience about his composing and his time in Hollywood, he discussed the tragic element about having to compose "I Remember Clifford," and he also included a couple of little stories about mistakes he had made while composing. He told of being asleep and dreaming the greatest melody he had come up with yet and he rushed downstairs to pencil and paper and wrote it out. But when he got up in the morning, he found that had written the melody to a Horace Silver tune in his sleep! Benny was not above laughing at himself.
So he wasn't in any way controversial, and I think that helped keep the writers and the hype people away from him. He is just a saxophone virtuoso who composes music of the highest order, melodies that will live forever. I'm glad I got to know him and work with him a little bit.
Benny is an absolute original as an improviser (beyond his amazing compositions). I keep going back to an album he did in the 1990s with Mulgrew Miller that blows my mind each time I hear it. Tony Reedus is also amazing on this album, and Mulgrew's playing is otherworldly, for me.
I won't even begin to start ranking players, music being inherently profoundly subjective.
I had the honor and pleasure of working with Mr. Golson years back, playing big band arrangements of his music along with him. He was nothing bot a gregarious, friendly, thoroughly delightful guy throughout the whole process, and we all had a great time. His tunes are great, he sounded great, and he was a joy to be around.
He has a very distinctive and individualistic sound (as both a player and a composer), which is something I think all artists should aspire to. As a result, some people will love it and others might find it not to be their cup of tea. Nothing wrong with it either way!
I had the honor and pleasure of working with Mr. Golson years back, playing big band arrangements of his music along with him. He was nothing bot a gregarious, friendly, thoroughly delightful guy throughout the whole process, and we all had a great time. His tunes are great, he sounded great, and he was a joy to be around.
He has a very distinctive and individualistic sound (as both a player and a composer), which is something I think all artists should aspire to. As a result, some people will love it and others might find it not to be their cup of tea. Nothing wrong with it either way!
This is maybe only adjacent to the conversation, but I would like to share. I met Mr. Golson once. He came into the shop, and his biteplate had fallen off. I was still less than 5 years into the job, and I probably looked about 14. I was nervous as hell, and he was calm. I was starstruck, and he was respectful of me as if I deserved it. He did not give any indication that he was nervous to give his main mouthpiece (a few hours prior to a gig, I might add) to what was basically a kid. I fixed it for him, he tried to pay, and I refused. He looked at me and shook my hand, and a month later I got a check in the mail for $50 (which was a ton of money to me at the time), for "REPAIR OF BENNY GOLSON'S MOUTHPIECE". I will treasure it the rest of my life. What a class act.
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"killer joe" and "blues march", etc. great great jazz hits. that alone place him in the top tier.
I think he is bit on the cooler side. He plays in the mainstream tradition.
Bluesy Ammons is my pick for ballads.
Dexter wrote many great tunes, but not any that are played a lot by others. that is another mystery.
Stitt was overkill sometimes.
Golson speaks like royalty, he deserves a kingdom.
I think he is bit on the cooler side. He plays in the mainstream tradition.
Bluesy Ammons is my pick for ballads.
Dexter wrote many great tunes, but not any that are played a lot by others. that is another mystery.
Stitt was overkill sometimes.
Golson speaks like royalty, he deserves a kingdom.
I agree to your statement, that Benny Golson is one of the best players. And also a very gifted arranger.
But I do not agree with your statement, that nobody is talking about Benny Golson. To my opinion he is seen in the same range as the sax players you listed. At least by everybody I know.
There are other great players, which are widely unknown, but still in the same range. Like George Coleman, Sal Nistico and Frank Strozier. But this is something for another discussion.
But I do not agree with your statement, that nobody is talking about Benny Golson. To my opinion he is seen in the same range as the sax players you listed. At least by everybody I know.
There are other great players, which are widely unknown, but still in the same range. Like George Coleman, Sal Nistico and Frank Strozier. But this is something for another discussion.
Golson's solo on "My Blues House" is a little-known gem. An absolute master class on how to build a solo & tell a story.
My first exposure to his playing was also the first jazz album I bought without any advice, just like this, out of the blue, as a teenager, early 70s. I was supposed to listen to Pink Floyd or ELP.
The album is Curtis Fuller's Blues-ette. Who the hell is this other Benny G ? (my parents listened a lot to Goodman's small groups with Hampton).
The sound, the laid back feel, the tongue-in-cheek quotes, the progressive solo build, but also the general feel of the 5tet, this all set the benchmark, and anchored my deep love for those post-bop years.
The album is Curtis Fuller's Blues-ette. Who the hell is this other Benny G ? (my parents listened a lot to Goodman's small groups with Hampton).
The sound, the laid back feel, the tongue-in-cheek quotes, the progressive solo build, but also the general feel of the 5tet, this all set the benchmark, and anchored my deep love for those post-bop years.
The story I heard about Benny dreaming of a melody was he found out he had written down the opening verse of Stardust. Another important legacy of his is being the bop or post bop tenor part of the trumpet, with Art Farmer, tenor duos, starting from Bix and Tram, to Roy Eldridge and Chu, Dick Wilson and Paul King, Miles and Trane, to everywhere, a combo even more widespread than the battling tenor legacy of Pres and Herschel.
I imagine most of you Golson fans have seen this film appearance by Benny. I hate the way they lighted the jazz club scene, but it's really sweet nonetheless:
Only saw him play once and I was overjoyed by the experience. His sound was warm, smooth and filled the room beautifully! He’s a real icon and a fabulous player!
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