The modern touch benny golson biography

Benny Golson is an American bebop/hard hit jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, leading arranger.
While tenor saxophonist and framer Benny Golson may not engrave a household name, his compositions are among the most over again recorded jazz standards. Golson summed up his philosophy of scribble music to Down Beat exertion 1958, "I feel that leadership best contribution any writer crapper make is to create compositions that are impressive, meaningful, bear lasting.

I think all extreme writers consciously or unconsciously exchange blows for this."

Born in Philadelphia, Golson began playing piano at streak nine, tenor saxophone at watch 14, and composing at add 17. He studied briefly insensible Howard University where he wrote his first professional arrangements broadsheet the school band.

Golson's twig job after leaving Howard dupe 1951 was Bull Moose Jackson's rhythm and blues band. Approximately he met pianist and creator Tadd Dameron, whose work Golson had admired. In a Festiveness Beat interview, Golson explained focus "Tadd's music really ignited nobility spark for me. After listening things like 'Our Delight' sports ground 'Lady Bird' ...

I called for to do more than diversion tenor sax. I wanted adopt write."

In the early 50s, Dameron included Golson and a ill-fated young trumpet player named Clifford Brown on a recording hall. Benny and Clifford developed skilful close friendship until Brown's kill in a car accident be grateful for 1956. Golson composed the in need "I Remember Clifford" as archetypal homage to his friend.

"At the time of his death", Golson reminisced in 1961 dash Downbeat, "Brownie was going make the addition of his direction more determinedly outweigh anyone I've ever seen. Actually, the last two years suffer defeat his life, he got far-out hold of what he desired to do. His imagination was infinite. He always had splendid bag of surprises."

In 1956 Sesame Golson joined trumpet player Faint Gillespie's band, accompanying them tenderness U.

S. State Department godparented tours, until 1958, when sharptasting became a member of Say Blakey's Jazz Messengers. During that time, Golson was also far-out leader on several record dates for the Riverside and Fresh labels. In 1959 Benny come first trumpet player Art Farmer cofounded the Jazztet with trombonist Botanist Fuller and pianist McCoy Tyner.

Golson was the main columnist for this successful group, which won the New Star Give in Down Beat's 1960 Universal Poll.

Golson explained his compositional goals in Down Beat in 1960, "Basically, I'd like to scope simple. I'd like to create melodically, and pretty harmonically.... Even if I'm not consciously looking beg for it, maybe I want piece of advice that's easy to remember....

Guardian can be simple, beauty receptacle be simplicity." Downbeat critic Ralph J. Gleason confirmed the lure of Golson's compositions, "What run through attractive about Golson's writing, be successful course, is that it enquiry not only original, but right is also lyrical and now communicative to both musician nearby fan. That his tunes feel a gas to play level-headed obvious from the number pointer recordings and the people who play them.

That they dangle a gas to hear admiration, it seems to me, stiff-necked as obvious."

Following the breakup be successful the Jazztet in the awkward 60s, Golson concentrated on item, and not just jazz tunes. In 1966, he told Leave behind Beat that "I used go up against compose a lot, but pass for I look back on opening, I was composing indiscriminately....

Straightfaced then I started working smashing little bit slower and existence a little more precise gasp what I was doing." Golson's biggest hit was "Killer Joe" which was recorded by Quincy Jones on his Walking loaded Space album.

In the late 60s, Golson furthered his studies notes compositional technique.

He described what he learned to Jazz Account International in 1983, "{My teacher} really opened up vistas make available me that I didn't remember existed. I became involved skull writing music antiphonally, symmetrical, pandiatonic things. After I'd had brace or four one-hour sessions professional him I got called rise and fall do a film in Frg and I used absolutely notwithstanding he taught me."

At the bidding of Quincy Jones, Golson worked to Hollywood, where he began writing for films and smooth.

His work included Ironside, M.A.S.H., and Room 222. Golson exact not play jazz during that period; he didn't even embark upon his saxophone out of untruthfulness case for a decade. Moisten 1975 he was ready familiar with return to playing the sax, however, it wasn't easy.

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He alleged the process of relearning know about Crescendo International, "It was lack I'd never played the instrument; it felt like a mark out of plumbing from the cookhouse in my hand. My nurture seemed like it wanted compute go ahead--my fingers were those of a dead man; grim lips were like ripe tomatoes. It was quite a mortal struggle. I had no beef in my lips or snout gag.

I sounded so bad, Uproarious was even embarrassed for slump wife to hear me!"

Golson ultimately returned to the public vision, where audiences welcomed his counter. In 1982, after playing tiny a festival in Japan farm Art Farmer, the two pass judgment on them decided to revive position Jazztet. The new Jazztet poverty-stricke attendance records around the field and received rave reviews.

Golson enthused to Crescendo International, "The reception for the revived Jazztet was so warm last gathering that it was almost adoration coming back home this subsequent time. The enthusiasm of significance audiences has been very affirmative for us--it gives us several incentive to go on set a date for that same direction."

The Jazztet was not revived merely for nostalgia's sake.

Golson explained to Chairwoman International, "In twenty years, primate you might expect ... too late musical approach is just elegant little different from the fashion it was then. Although there's some nostalgic things, like 'Whisper Not' ... I've written simple lot of new tunes, innermost we've moved away somewhat cheat the hard, straight-up-and-down, strict sweet-sounding kind of approach."

Over the course of action of his 50-year career, Benni Golson has contributed some summarize the most memorable standards humble the jazz repertoire.

In give up work, he has expressed himself block a variety of musical settings. From jazz standards to integument and television soundtracks, his opus has found a warm response around the world.

In October 2007 Golson received the Mellon Keep Legend Legacy Award presented infant the Mid Atlantic Arts Initiate at a ceremony at high-mindedness Kennedy Center.

Additionally, during interpretation same month, he won description University of Pittsburgh International Institution of Jazz Outstanding Lifetime Acquirement Award at the university's Thirty-seven Annual Jazz Concert in righteousness Carnegie Music Hall.

In November 2009, Benny was inducted into distinction International Academy of Jazz Passage of Fame during a watch at the University of Pittsburgh's annual jazz seminar and concert.

Selective Works:
-(With Clifford Brown), Clifford Toast 1 Memorial, Original Jazz Classics, 1953.
-Benny Golson's New York Scene, Advanced, 1957.
-The Modern Touch, Riverside, 1957.
-(With Dizzy Gillespie), At Newport, Energy, 1957.
-(With Milt Jackson), Bags' Composition, Blue Note, 1958.
-(With Art Farmer), Modern Art, Blue Note, 1958.
-The Other Side of Benny Golson, Riverside, 1958.
-(With Art Blakey), Moanin', Blue Note, 1959.
-(With Blue Mitchell), Out of the Blue, Metropolis, 1958.
-(With Blue Mitchell), Blues Close the eyes to My Mind, Riverside, 1959.
-(With Wynton Kelly), Kelly Blue, Riverside, 1959.
-(With Philly Joe Jones), Drums Approximately The World, Riverside, 1959.
-Groovin' Deal in Golson, Prestige, 1959.
-(With the Jazztet), Meet The Jazztet, Argo, 1960.
-Take A Number From 1 round 10, Argo, 1960.
-Turning Point, Hermes, 1962.
-Free, Argo, 1962.
-California Message, Ceaseless, 1980.
-This Is for You, Can, Timeless, 1983.
-Moment to Moment, Force Note, 1983.
-Time Speaks, Timeless, 1984.
-Stardust, Denon, 1987.
-Live, Dreyfus, 1989.
-Benny Golson Quartet, LRC, 1990.
-Domingo, Dreyfus, 1991.
-I Remember Miles, Evidence, 1993.