Benny Golson, RIP

[Steve Gray]

RIP. Was Playing New York Scene yesterday...

Only Sonny left now from the Art Kane photo

Edited September 23 by Steve Gray

[mrjazzman]

During a weeks residency at Yoshi's Oakland with Mike LeDonne, Randy Brecker, Buster Williams,Carl Allen?(treated me like a King) he told me him and my dad Elmon Wright were the best of friends, did everything together, in Earl Bostics band. Said they weren't playing a lot of jazz. Mostly jump tunes. Told me about some of their escapades I can't repeat here. BG was a great story teller with keen wit and great sense of humor. I asked him one time, "Benny, how are you doing" he replied "Jerold I'm barely hanging on, I've got long finger nails"  Because of you sir I will forever be "Moanin'" at the "Five Spot After Dark" while "I Remember Clifford" then all of a sudden "Along Came Betty" "Out Of The Past" only to bump into "Killer Joe" & "Reggie of Chester" at the "Blues March" Always "Step Lightly" around "The Stroller"

[mhatta]

I didn't really like him as a tenor sax player, but I think he is the greatest jazz composer. His music had its own inherent beauty and charm, but he also left a lot of room for other people to interpret it freely (in that sense, I think he was similar to Cole Porter and Carla Bley). Bud Powell's interpretation of I Remember Clifford is a good example. RIP Maestro.

It seems that the history of "modern" jazz is about to truly come to an end.

[soulpope]

Art Farmer and Benny Golson now reunited again ....

[Gheorghe]

45 minutes ago, mhatta said:

I didn't really like him as a tenor sax player, but I think he is the greatest jazz composer. His music had its own inherent beauty and charm, but he also left a lot of room for other people to interpret it freely (in that sense, I think he was similar to Cole Porter and Carla Bley). Bud Powell's interpretation of I Remember Clifford is a good example. RIP Maestro.

It seems that the history of "modern" jazz is about to truly come to an end.

We share exactly the same impressions !  You can read mine also earlier here on this thread. 
Exactly my impressions, one of the great jazz composers, but I don´t really like his tenor playing. 

And like you I love Bud Powell´s interpretations of it, live or in the studio at "Return of Bud Powell". I can´t say which one I prefer, because Bud recorded it on almost each album in the 60´s , in all European Countries like France, Italia, Suedia, Danemarca, Belgia , Germania , everywhere......

Well, there is no end, there is so much good players around, if people would stop listen to so called "modern jazz" just because those who first played it in the 40´s, 50´s we might not be able to pay our rents........

[Milestones]

I have really enjoyed Benny Golson and his music, and I was fortunate to see him live very later-career.  I won't say it was a renaissance period...I mean did he ever have a down period as player, composer, arranger, band leader?

I turned several people on to his "Gypsy Jingle Jangle."  They loved it.  For many of them, jazz was the last thing they would listen to.

R.I.P., Benny.

 

[mikeweil]

R.I.P.

I once saw him guest with a local big band and was able to talk to him backstage after the concert as I had conducted a short interview with him via e-mal before on request of a local magazine. Very nice man. What was amazing was that his solos were full of well known phrases but sounded fresh and new coming out of his horn. Really great. He was the music.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

During Benny's last swing through Boston, he played at Scullers Jazz club (great club BTW). 89.7 FM WGBH recorded the second set that night, which was identical to the first set (which I know because I was at the first set). They have posted it on their website: https://www.wgbh.org/music/jazz/2018-02-07/benny-golson-live-from-scullers

[Milestones]

I liked Benny's playing.  He could be tasteful and bluesy, and it seemed like he never wasted a note.

 

 

Edited September 23 by Milestones

[clifford_thornton]

Sad to hear, but what a life & what a legacy. RIP.

[mjazzg]

Now that was a Jazz life, what a legacy

[adh1907]

RIP. I was lucky to have seen him at Smoke in New York when he was about 80 I think. It was incredible to be sat close to him and hear him with a small group. Snappily dressed and in good playing form. 

[clifford_thornton]

I never saw him play alas, but did see him speak at a Coltrane film screening. Seemed like a wonderful human being.

[sidewinder]

Very sad news and the world is a lesser place for his passing - RIP.

The last time I saw him was NorthSea in 2006 when he did a Clifford Brown tribute with Eddie Henderson, Randy Brecker, Mike LeDonne, Buster Williams and Al Foster. The NorthSea glory days.

Before that I did catch a free performance by his quartet at Lincoln Center square around 1994. Amazing that such performances could be caught for free back then- part of NYC Jazz Festival.

Always a dignified and gracious stage presence, excellent performer and superlative  composer/arranger. That Jazz 625 TV show he did in 1964 with Tubby Hayes Orchestra was stellar.

Edited September 23 by sidewinder

[Dan Gould]

Mike LeDonne on FB:

 

I've been knowing and playing with Benny Golson for just shy of 30 years. I've been seeing people on FB talking about how his passing makes Sonny Rollins the last man alive from the Great Day In Harlem Picture. Please allow me to say that while that may be an interesting phenomenon, watching the greats in that picture leave us one by one until there will eventually be none seems like a macabre kind of trivia game to me. It doesn't seem to fit the gravity of the moment and the great loss that has taken place. Sorry to those that posted it as I'm sure you meant no harm.

 

I don't want to get into listing all of Benny Golson's musical accomplishments because that can be read anywhere online. Sufficed to say his playing was very underrated for someone who had such a unique sound and approach. You know who it wasn't underrated by? The great Wayne Shorter, who loved both his playing and his writing. Benny Golson came from an older school than Wayne but like Wayne never followed the crowd. He was even able to resist the influence of his childhood friend John Coltrane who at one point changed the language so completely that most musicians were showing his influence. Benny always remained his own man and even though he grew and expanded his boundaries as he went along he stayed loyal to his own sound and style.

I wanted to share some thoughts about Benny Golson the human being because that is what is missing in focusing on his image in a famous photograph and even when only speaking of his great music.

 

I was a young man when Benny called me to make a recording with him. That was my first gig after which he kept me there for the rest of his life. That right there says a lot. That kind of support and loyalty is extremely rare in this business. Sure, you might work with many great players but not for the rest of their life.

Because of that Benny was there for many of the most important episodes of my life. I was on the road with him when I found out my wife was pregnant with my daughter Mary. He was the first person I told. He was always there for me when things went down a different road for us because of Mary's pre mature birth. Let me explain what I mean. When Mary was born almost 2 months early we were basically living in what they call the PICU which is the ICU for babies born at only 1 or 2 pounds who were not through baking in the oven yet. They are placed in incubators and the parents go there and hold their tiny swaddled baby everyday as they gain enough weight and get strong enough to go home. I was in touch with Benny throughout that experience and I still have some of the beautiful emails he would write me. When we worked together he would talk to me about my experience with such sincerity always listening to me deep in thought.

 

This goes for everything I went through with my family. There were other rough roads we went down with Mary where we found ourselves once again living in the ICU for months and Benny was there through all of it. He had the patience of Job and the wisdom of a sage. His eloquence gave him the ability to say something helpful in such a substantive way it really made a difference. I found myself recalling his exact words over and over again when I needed a boost of spirit.

 

He loved us and he was crazy about Mary and we loved him. When I got the crazy idea to start the Disability Pride Parade in NYC Benny was right there to do anything I needed to help get it off the ground. He was the one that gave me the courage to call all the other greats that wound up pitching in with their talent at my fund raisers called Jazz Legends for Disability Pride. He used to tell me that he couldn't believe that I was doing it and it always cracked me up when he'd say "These things are usually done by big corporations, who would think a "lowly jazz musician" could do such a thing?"

No one was ever more enthusiastic and excited by the musicians in their band than Benny Golson. His joy at hearing the band was palpable and genuine and yet he was never pleased with his own playing. He was very critical of himself even though he'd be playing some incredible things, fresh new things that I never heard anyone play before or since. His tunes came from his heart and soul but were always a little different than anyone else's. He had a melodic and harmonic genius that I think is right up there with all the real greats like Ellington, Silver, Shorter etc... Like his playing his compositions and arrangements had that unmistakable Benny Golson sound.

 

What I saw in Benny Golson the person was pure and as real as it gets. Someone who's kindness had no self motivation but was simply in his DNA. A gentle soul with a brilliant mind. A frustrated Shakespearian actor whose soliloquies told the history of this music from someone that lived it. His daughter Brielle, herself and incredible human being, told me even though his body was breaking down his mind was sharp right to the end. I take comfort in the fact that he passed away at home with family there. He went to sleep forever but he left us here with an incredible body of work and, for those of us lucky enough to have known him, memories that bring warmth to your heart and a smile to your face.

 

My sincerest condolences to his daughter Brielle and his wife Bobbie who is also a beautiful woman with a lovely positive spirit. They were as close as a family could be so I know this is hard.

[mjzee]

A great moment with Golson the soloist (the Hazel in question is Hazel Scott, who was goading the band along):

 

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

RIP 😭

16 hours ago, Chuck Nessa said:

Remembering some time spent with Golson and Art Farmer in the lobby of the Blackstone Hotel. They were in town for the Chicago Jazz Festival and we were getting acquainted. I made the error of mentioning I was the local distributor for Timeless Records, and that changed the vibe in the room .Both launched into horror stories of traveling around Europe in an uncomfortable van, getting to gig to gig. They were not fans of Wim Wigt.

I really like my CD of “California Message”- the jazztet in hi-fi

[mrjazzman]

During a weeks residency at Yoshi's Oakland with Mike LeDonne, Randy Brecker, Buster Williams,Carl Allen?(treated me like a King) he told me him and my dad Elmon Wright were the best of friends, did everything together, in Earl Bostics band. Said they weren't playing a lot of jazz. Mostly jump tunes. Told me about some of their escapades I can't repeat here. BG was a great story teller with keen wit and great sense of humor. I asked him one time, "Benny, how are you doing" he replied "Jerold I'm barely hanging on, I've got long finger nails"  Because of you sir I will forever be "Moanin'" at the "Five Spot After Dark" while "I Remember Clifford" then all of a sudden "Along Came Betty" "Out Of The Past" only to bump into "Killer Joe" & "Reggie of Chester" at the "Blues March" Always "Step Lightly" around "The Stroller"

[HutchFan]

R.I.P. to one of the greats!

 

[aparxa]

Wonderful memories from Jazz à Vienne 2006 and Smoke in August 2008. Thank you for the music!

Edited September 24 by aparxa

[Teasing the Korean]

RIP.  

 

[Ken Dryden]

19 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Mike LeDonne on FB:

 

I've been knowing and playing with Benny Golson for just shy of 30 years. I've been seeing people on FB talking about how his passing makes Sonny Rollins the last man alive from the Great Day In Harlem Picture. Please allow me to say that while that may be an interesting phenomenon, watching the greats in that picture leave us one by one until there will eventually be none seems like a macabre kind of trivia game to me. It doesn't seem to fit the gravity of the moment and the great loss that has taken place. Sorry to those that posted it as I'm sure you meant no harm.

 

I don't want to get into listing all of Benny Golson's musical accomplishments because that can be read anywhere online. Sufficed to say his playing was very underrated for someone who had such a unique sound and approach. You know who it wasn't underrated by? The great Wayne Shorter, who loved both his playing and his writing. Benny Golson came from an older school than Wayne but like Wayne never followed the crowd. He was even able to resist the influence of his childhood friend John Coltrane who at one point changed the language so completely that most musicians were showing his influence. Benny always remained his own man and even though he grew and expanded his boundaries as he went along he stayed loyal to his own sound and style.

I wanted to share some thoughts about Benny Golson the human being because that is what is missing in focusing on his image in a famous photograph and even when only speaking of his great music.

 

I was a young man when Benny called me to make a recording with him. That was my first gig after which he kept me there for the rest of his life. That right there says a lot. That kind of support and loyalty is extremely rare in this business. Sure, you might work with many great players but not for the rest of their life.

Because of that Benny was there for many of the most important episodes of my life. I was on the road with him when I found out my wife was pregnant with my daughter Mary. He was the first person I told. He was always there for me when things went down a different road for us because of Mary's pre mature birth. Let me explain what I mean. When Mary was born almost 2 months early we were basically living in what they call the PICU which is the ICU for babies born at only 1 or 2 pounds who were not through baking in the oven yet. They are placed in incubators and the parents go there and hold their tiny swaddled baby everyday as they gain enough weight and get strong enough to go home. I was in touch with Benny throughout that experience and I still have some of the beautiful emails he would write me. When we worked together he would talk to me about my experience with such sincerity always listening to me deep in thought.

 

This goes for everything I went through with my family. There were other rough roads we went down with Mary where we found ourselves once again living in the ICU for months and Benny was there through all of it. He had the patience of Job and the wisdom of a sage. His eloquence gave him the ability to say something helpful in such a substantive way it really made a difference. I found myself recalling his exact words over and over again when I needed a boost of spirit.

 

He loved us and he was crazy about Mary and we loved him. When I got the crazy idea to start the Disability Pride Parade in NYC Benny was right there to do anything I needed to help get it off the ground. He was the one that gave me the courage to call all the other greats that wound up pitching in with their talent at my fund raisers called Jazz Legends for Disability Pride. He used to tell me that he couldn't believe that I was doing it and it always cracked me up when he'd say "These things are usually done by big corporations, who would think a "lowly jazz musician" could do such a thing?"

No one was ever more enthusiastic and excited by the musicians in their band than Benny Golson. His joy at hearing the band was palpable and genuine and yet he was never pleased with his own playing. He was very critical of himself even though he'd be playing some incredible things, fresh new things that I never heard anyone play before or since. His tunes came from his heart and soul but were always a little different than anyone else's. He had a melodic and harmonic genius that I think is right up there with all the real greats like Ellington, Silver, Shorter etc... Like his playing his compositions and arrangements had that unmistakable Benny Golson sound.

 

What I saw in Benny Golson the person was pure and as real as it gets. Someone who's kindness had no self motivation but was simply in his DNA. A gentle soul with a brilliant mind. A frustrated Shakespearian actor whose soliloquies told the history of this music from someone that lived it. His daughter Brielle, herself and incredible human being, told me even though his body was breaking down his mind was sharp right to the end. I take comfort in the fact that he passed away at home with family there. He went to sleep forever but he left us here with an incredible body of work and, for those of us lucky enough to have known him, memories that bring warmth to your heart and a smile to your face.

 

My sincerest condolences to his daughter Brielle and his wife Bobbie who is also a beautiful woman with a lovely positive spirit. They were as close as a family could be so I know this is hard.

Thanks for sharing Mike’s post, especially for those of us fed up with FB.

[RiRiIII]

Thank you indeed.

[Steve Reynolds]

24 minutes ago, Ken Dryden said:

Thanks for sharing Mike’s post, especially for those of us fed up with FB.

Yes thanks very much

RIP, sir

the Blakey band with Benny a huge influence in me getting into jazz at a relatively late age. 31 years old or so. Love the late 50’s Golson recordings as well.

[Big Beat Steve]

On 9/23/2024 at 3:01 AM, ghost of miles said:

Also known one of the last musicians left from the Great Day in Harlem photo… only Sonny’s left now. Think I’ll throw on some Jazztet and chase it with The Philadelphians.

Same thoughts here.

RIP