Bennie Green Mosaic Select

[Shrdlu]

I listened to Bennie for the first time a few weeks ago. He is great, and doesn't copy Jay Jay.

Sonny Clark being on two of the Blue Note albums inspired me to get them. Can't have too much Sonny. Someone said that there is a third album with Sonny. What is it? He's on "Soul Stirrin' " and "The 45 Session". "Soul Stirrin' " has Gene Ammons, as a bonus. "The 45 Session" has a good tenor player, too, of whom I had not heard. These two albums are great.

[Chuck Nessa]

Edited February 13, 2022 by Chuck Nessa

[Shrdlu]

Thanks, Chuck.

Sonny Clark is also with him on the Ike Quebec session, included in the Mosaic Select set, but that is not one of Bennie's own albums. I must check out those two albums that you have listed. More good sounds to enjoy.

[Joe]

This Riverside date of roughly the same vintage is also very enjoyable.

Edited February 14, 2022 by Joe

[Dan Gould]

Long time since I've listened to Bennie but thinking very seriously about pulling several discs, inspired by this thread.

Bennie communicates a great deal of joy in his playing, a characteristic I always find extremely attractive.

Should add: I have to check that I have that 45 Sessions disc (almost sure) and how about this one issued seeming three ways - Bennie Green as leader, Gene Ammons as leader (aka Juggin Around) and the two as co-leaders.

Anyway you get its some fine music.

https://www.discogs.com/master/442725-Benny-Green-The-Swinginest

 

[mjazzg]

I'm listening to 'Hornful Of Soul' as my introduction to him, because of this thread. Definitely hear that "great deal of joy"

A terrific listen

[JSngry]

Seems that Bennie Green had no problem getting one-off record dates when he was "on the scene"...but very few (if any?) sideman dates from the same time?

I always enjoy his records.

[Rooster_Ties]

I have to confess I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything at all, from any of his leader-dates   — and only a thing or two with him as a sideman.

Edit: What’s his best leader-date?

Edited February 14, 2022 by Rooster_Ties

[JSngry]

3 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I have to confess I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything at all, from any of his leader-dates   — and only a thing or two with him as a sideman.

Edit: What’s his best leader-date?

I would have to say go for the Vee-Jay date with Gene Ammons (a.o.) first. That's just a magnificent record.

After that, they're all the same, which is to say all good.

He's also got a nice cameo on George Benson's Cookbook record.

He had  his style and he stuck to it, if you know what I mean, but he was never without flayva.

[Dub Modal]

I only have these Bennie Green records:

Both are great listens 

[Brad]

13 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I have to confess I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything at all, from any of his leader-dates   — and only a thing or two with him as a sideman.

Edit: What’s his best leader-date?

Aside from his BN dates, I have a few other of his records and I prefer the BN ones, particularly Soul Stirrin’. The Bainbridge (or Time) one is pretty good, as I recall. 

[Shrdlu]

"Soul Stirrin' " is a real groove, and "The 45 Session" (one of those Blue Note Works 1600 series CDs) is also excellent.

[Shrdlu]

There is a box set with many of Bennie's albums here

https://www.discogs.com/release/12304661-Bennie-Green-The-Complete-Albums-Collection-Eight-Original-LPs-1958-1964

I don't know what the sound quality is like, but it's a cheap way to check out a lot of his work.

I just got the two albums that Chuck listed, and they are very enjoyable. As Dan said, they convey a lot of joy. The Time album not only has Sonny Clark on it, but also has three of Sonny's compositions. (Of course, there is a Time Sonny album.) It is a change to hear the guys without any session producer's influence. That is not a dig at Alfred Lion, by the way. I must admit that I prefer Sonny's sound as recorded by Rudy - that sound can be addictive. Rudy got that with one of those Neumann U-47 mikes, which are seen in many Hackensack photos. One of those photos shows that mike inside the piano. However, the notes on the Green album say that the Time engineer also used Neumanns, so the choice of mike is not the whole story.

[Shrdlu]

That box set arrived here today. I got it real cheap on eee bay, I guess because the case was cracked. (I have lots of jewel case spare parts here.)

It's a 4-CD set, and I don't know whether it is "pirate" in any sense. So far, I just played the last session on it, "My Main Man", from 1964, with Sonny Stitt. The session is fabulous. Dan mentioned a joyful vibe: the vibe is extra joyful and bright here. They were enjoying themselves, and there is a photo of Bennie and Sonny hugging each other, The sound quality is first-rate, I'm delighted to relate.

That is definitely an inexpensive entry into the Green world. For some reason, I had never heard him until a few weeks ago. Nobody had ever told me about him. I hear some Trummy Young in his sound, which can't be bad.

[DMP]

Some nice earlier Green is on Charlie Ventura’s concert in Pasadena, 1949. Conte Candoli, Ed Shaughnessy, Jackie & Roy, one of those Gene Norman shows. Bop for the people indeed!