100 Greatest Jazz Albums: Benny Golson

Concord Jazz

Release date: January 20th 2009

Availability: CD, MP3 Download, iTunes

Benny Golson, who appeared on Art Blakey's "Moanin'" alongside Lee Morgan, one of the best jazz albums of all time, reaches 80 and celebrates with his first new album in five years. "New Time, New 'Tet" recalls the famous Jazztet with Art Farmer which Benny Golson co-founded in 1959.

The new sextet is: Benny Golson (tenor sax), Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Steve Davis (trombone), Mike LeDonne (piano), Buster Williams (bass) and Carl Allen (percussion).

(Photo: Riccardo Schwamenthal)

The album features Benny Golson compositions ("From Dream To Dream", "Gypsy Jingle- Jangle", "Uptown Afterburn") together with jazz classics such as Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy” and Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin”. Vocalist Al Jarreau guests on Benny Golson's own “Whisper Not.”

There are imaginative arrangements by Benny Golson of two pieces from the classical repetoire – Chopin's "L'Adieu" and a composition by Verdi, renamed "Verdi's Voice". There is also a fine version of the El Debarge standard "Love Me In a Special Way" with finely worked horn harmonisation, possibly the album highlight.

Steve Davis is well featured, his trombone playing being a great asset, especially on the opening track, his own composition, "Grove's Groove".

Benny Golson's sax playing is finely judged, just reminiscent enough of Coleman Hawkins to revive memories of that great sax player yet clearly his own.

A fine album from a musician who has given so much to jazz over more than fifty years.

You can preview the following tracks:

L'Adieu

Whisper Not