Customer Reviews

Benny Golson And The Philadelphians

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This CD is divided to two parts. The first six tracks were recorded in NY, featuring Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Ray Bryant, Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones. The remaining four tracks were recorded in Paris, with Golson, Bobby Timmons, and three good French jazz musicians. The recording are all from 1958.

The first part is unsurprisingly beautiful. How can you go wrong with these musicians, playing great compositions ? I WAS surprised to hear the Golson composition "Thursday's Theme", a medium tempo ballad that reminds me alot of the Idle Moments title track. The similarity is there in the tenor solo (here Golson, there the young Joe Henderson), and the piano solo (here Bryant, there Pearson). The melody and chord changes are also very close.
The last four traks are good, but not as good as the first seven. It is intersting to hear the different performances of standards such as Moanin' and I Remember Clifford.
I am becoming a Benny Golson fan lately, so I add this CD to the list of recommended CD's by this great underrated tenor and composer.

"Benny Golson and the Philadelphians" is a welcome reissue from the folks at Blue Note/Capitol. Originally made by Tom Wilson for the Transition label while Golson was a member of the Jazz Messengers, Benny celebrates his Philadelphia heritage by using a band made up of musicians born and raised in the city of brotherly love (Lee Morgan, Ray Bryant, Percy Heath and "Philly" Joe Jones). The album itself is thoroughly swinging, even if it's a cut below his best Prestige recordings (see my other reviews). The standout tunes are Golson's "Stablemates," now a jazz staple, and "Blues on my Mind." The CD has a bonus session recorded in Paris during a Messenger tour, with a band of three frenchmen (Pierre Michelot the only standout) and fellow J.M. bandmate Bobby Timmons. The four songs are the ones that made Golson famous (well, at least in jazz circles) -- "Blues March," "I Remember Clifford," (a second version of) "Stablemates" and "Moanin'" (which is a Bobby Timmons composition, but Golson was the tenor player on the definitive version on Art Blakey's album of the same name). These are not the definitve versions of these songs, but they are enjoyable all the same.

right before joining ranks with Art Farmer. Although the label on this reissue says (and is) Blue Note, the LP which I have is simply titled "Benny Golson", and is on a French label called "Disques Swing" - somewhat of a misnomer considering the music on it - no matter, though. The disc is minus the second take of "Stablemates", and is the poorer for it - making the CD richer. Two bands in two different recording sites are featured: New York and Paris. Only 3 cuts were recorded in Paris, and they are with Bobby Timmons, Roger Guerin,, Christian Garros, and Pierre Michelot (who also recorded with Clifford Brown - making the Paris recording of "I Remember Clifford" all the more poignant). "Blues March", "I Remember Clifford", and "Moanin'" are those tracks. The "Philadelphians" comprise the bulk of the recording, and are with Lee Morgan, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, and, one of my favorite pianists, Ray Bryant. Golson has always been one of my favorite songwriters, and we get two of his best on these sessions with "Stablemates" and "I Remember Clifford". All in all a great, if forgotten, recording.

Rythmic, oh so lyrical, and captivating. "Calgary" is such a wonderful surprise! "Thursday's Theme" has magical piano moonbeams. This has become my standard Jazz gift.