Carla Bley has been a vital force in the jazz world for more than 30 years. Tune In, Turn On to the Hippest Commercials, Verve, 1967. There he met pianist Tadd Dameron, who was aiming toward a jazz band of his own and spotted Golson’s skills as an arranger. During this time, Golson was also a leader on several record dates for the Riverside and Contemporary labels. Benny Golson is without question jazz's most significant living composer. Looking for some great streaming picks? [5] In 1982 Golson re-organized the Jazztet. (With Wynton Kelly), Kelly Blue, Riverside, 1959. (1950). (With Philly Joe Jones), Drums around the World, Riverside, 1959. [citation needed], The Howard University Jazz Studies program created a prestigious award in his honor called the "Benny Golson Jazz Master Award" in 1996. [citation needed], The Howard University Jazz Studies program created a prestigious award in his honor called the "Benny Golson Jazz Master Award" in 1996. (East Kootenay), Benoit, Leon Earl, B.Sc., P.Ag. N.Y. Golson's song "Something in B Flat" (from the album Benny Golson's New York Scene) can be heard during a scene where Viktor is painting and redecorating part of an airport terminal; in a later scene, Golson's band performs "Killer Joe". Golson and trumpeter Art Farmer co–founded the Jazztet in 1959. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Golson honed his arranging chops by studying Dameron’s arrangements closely, and during a stretch with the band of alto saxman Earl Bostic, he came into his own as a composer and arranger. Golson enthused to Crescendo International, “The reception for the revived Jazztet was so warm last year that it was almost like coming back home this second time. During this time he composed music for such television shows as Mannix, Ironside, Room 222, M*A*S*H, The Partridge Family and Mission: Impossible. Golson’s was not a household name at this point, but his music was heard by millions of Americans. Jazz Journal International, December, 1982; January, 1983. [citation needed], Learn how and when to remove this template message, International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame, The Roland Kirk Quartet Meets the Benny Golson Orchestra, Listening In: An Interview with Benny Golson, Benny Golson Recreates His Great 'Jazztet', Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk. Retrieved October 16, 2020 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/golson-benny, Golson, Benny, jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger; b. Philadelphia, Jan. 26, 1929. “I’m still stretching and striving,” he told the Pittsburgh Post–Gazette —and really, he had never stopped. Golson's song "Something in B Flat" (from the album Benny Golson's New York Scene) can be heard during a scene where Viktor is painting and redecorating part of an airport terminal; in a later scene, Golson's band performs "Killer Joe". Benny Golson’s New York Scene, Contemporary, 1957. While in high school in Philadelphia, Golson played with several other promising young musicians, including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, "Philly" Joe Jones, and Red Rodney. He continued to compose music in all the arenas in which he had spent his musical life: he wrote new jazz compositions, scored music for television commericials, and penned a number of classical works including a symphonic piece, Two Faces (which had its premiere at New York’s Alice Tully Hall in 1992), a ballet, and solo piano music. As the composer of music for popular 1970s television shows such as M*A*S*H and The Mod Squad, Golson might be described as one of America’s most famous unknown composers. Manheim, James "Golson, Benny 1929– “Whisper Not” (words by Leonard Feather) was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O’Day, and Mel Torme. Born Benjamin Golson, January 25, 1929, in Philadelphia, PA. Education: Attended Howard University, late 1940s. In the late 1960s, Golson furthered his studies in compositional technique. The enthusiasm of the audiences has been very encouraging for us—it gives us some incentive to go on in that same direction.”, The Jazztet was not revived merely for nostalgia’s sake. Powers, Jim "Golson, Benny Contemporary Musicians. Rosenthal, David, Hard Bop, Oxford University Press, 1992. Jazz pianist, arranger, composer His motivation, he explained to the Irish Times, was not so much personal as historical. “But [the studios] were so busy, there was an abundance of work for all of us.”. [citation needed], In 1999, Golson was awarded an honorary doctorate of music from Berklee College of Music. Benny Golson, Soundtrack: Pawn Sacrifice. From the late 1960s through the 1970s Golson was in demand as an arranger for film and television and thus was less active as a performer, but he and Farmer reformed the Jazztet in 1982. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. His work included Ironside, M.A.S.H., and Room 222. Touring in Japan, Europe, and the United States, Golson impressed listeners with a sound that had harder edges as compared with his previous efforts. I wanted to play the music. have been performed and recorded numerous times by many musicians. Born Benjamin Golson on January 25, 1929, in Philadelphia, PA. Education: Attended Howard University, 1947–50. broke up (1958), he replaced Jackie McLean in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Contemporary Black Biography. ), LL.B. - 5.16 thu. Additionally, during the same month, he won the University of Pittsburgh International Academy of Jazz Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award at the university's 37th Annual Jazz Concert in the Carnegie Music Hall. Main character Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) travels to the US from Europe to obtain Golson's signature; Golson was one of seven musicians then surviving from the photo, the others being Johnny Griffin (died 2008), Eddie Locke (died 2009), Hank Jones (died 2010), Marian McPartland (died 2013), Horace Silver (died 2014), and Sonny Rollins. Golson has composed several jazz standards, such as "Stablemates", "Killer Joe", "Whisper Not", "Along Came Betty" and "Are You Real? When he was asked by the Irish Times whether he considered his composing or performing activities more satisfying, Benny Golson responded that “It’s like having two wives. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launching his solo career. From jazz standards to film and television soundtracks, his music has found a warm reception around the world.