Customer Reviews

Groovin With Golson

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Clocking in at only 34 minutes, you might think this slight blowing session is not worth the money. But like 'Blues-ette' (under trombonist Curtis Fuller's name) and like his hard-to-find classic, 'Free,' this is a Golson gem. I play tenor, and I am continually blown away by 50's vintage Benny Golson - before he confined himself to tight arrangements that squeezed out his tenor sax improvising, and long before his return to the tenor in the post-bop era, when he drastically and unfortunately changed his tone to a mere shell of its early beauty. In this '59 session, made while he was forming the Jazztet with Art Farmer and Curtis Fuller, he stretches out on some simple blues patterns and one standard ballad. It's all done at a swinging tempo that allows Fuller to shine on trombone with near perfect solos; the under-rated Ray Bryant adds his impeccable piano touch (he's as great as Wynton Kelly or Sonny Clark); Paul Chambers was never better on bass than here, both as accompanist and soloist; and the irrepressible drummer, Art Blakey, makes the whole session sparkle. Backed by this band, Golson is as smooth as butter in tone, and as dazzling in his virtuosity as any tenor player of the times. In my opinion, he was the greatest tenor virtuoso of the 50's - even better than Sonny Rollins or Johnny Griffin: and that's sayin' something! Although this is simply a blowing session on some fairly simple riffs, it is raised to the level of the sublime by consummate musicianship and group chemistry, proving that the most perfect diamonds are the small ones. Add this to your collection of jazz classics. And don't be put off by tepid reviews on other websites that only give this three stars. Sometimes professional critics have a bad day.

...or more accurately, he never lost it! It's a shame more people don't know about this wonderful bop tenor player. Despite his successes with the Jazztet, and as the arranger for some of Blue Note's best 50s albums, Benny Golson remains in obscurity. "Groovin' With Golson" is probably the best of his half-dozen albums for the Prestige label. The title is appropriate because from the first notes of "My Blues House" it just swings and grooves all the way to the last track, the standard "Yesterdays." Having a ballad conclude an album seems like an odd choice, but here it's perfect -- you need a rest by this point! The all-star band of Curtis Fuller, Ray Bryant, Paul Chambers, and Art Blakey is in top from. This is one of the best jazz albums of 1959, no small feat considering "Kind of Blue," "Giant Steps" and "Mingus Ah Um" were also cut that year. An overlooked, but essential purchase.

I don't know if it is the addition of one of my top five piano players, Ray Bryant, or my top five favorite rhythm sections, Art Blakey and Paul Chambers, but Benny Golson is indeed groovin' this time. It is obvious from the first song. He is right there for the first solo. No flights of off-groove fancy, just great straight ahead, in the pocket playing, the way I am always used to hearing him. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" finds him playing and saying everything melodically and coherently, even though he is still in Trane-ing. I'm partial to Benny before his Trane influence became so great, but here, it is used to properly propel his playing to new heights, unlike, in my opinion, "Blues-ette", where he simply lost his own voice in favor of his newer mentor. Perhaps having the date in his own name made a difference, I'm not sure, but he's swingin' hard and fast, like on "The Stroller" (written by Golson), and Curtis Fuller is flawless, punctuating a lot like Al Grey...and Ray...what IS there to say?! The man does it all. Chambers states his usual wise musical sermon, then Blakey takes it over the top. "Yesterdays" is truly soulful, and both Golson and Fuller (with Ray, of course) give it what it needs. THIS is my kind of star, straight ahead bop-blowing session. It blows "Blue-ette" away.

I listen to a bunch of tenor players, my favorites, after Lester are Trane and Johnny Griffin. But I also like Gene Ammons, Jimmy Forrest, Wardel Gray, Joe Henderson and Hank Mobley.
I hate to admit it, but this record is my first by Benny Golson, and it really knocks me out. He's someone I've heard about but have not really sat down and listened to. What an ear-opener this has turned out to be!
Groovin' is why so many of the Golson & Fuller records from the late 50s and early 60s are still available.
The rhythm section is really great too. There's nothing negative anyone can say about this collection.

This is the second of a string of three Prestige albums Golson recorded in 1959. All three are top notch. On this one Golson is joined by Curtis Fuller (tb) Ray Bryant (p) Paul Chambers (b) and Art Blakey (d). This is hard bop at its finest. Two standards and three originals make up the tunes; all three originals are blues (THE STROLLER is up tempo and really cooks). Ray Bryant, an excellent blues interpretor on piano, is wonderful on these sides. Everyone came to play on this date, and the results are very solid.