Customer Reviews

Terminal 1

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bennie Golson is 75 this year.

That makes him a contemporary of Miles Davis and Stan Getz. It is interesting speculate on whether Stan and Miles would be doing the burnished, polished enjoyable music featured here if their, hmmm, bad habits hadn't shortened their lives. It amazes me that as many Jazz artists get older, they get better, often. Or more Mellow. (Rock musicians tend to have a brief few years and vanish).

Mellow. Smooth. That's how I would characterize Benny and his group and their play here. Many songs are Golson classics. 'Killer Joe' is a jazz description of a ghetto gentleman in "a form fitting dark pin stripe suit and a wide brim felt hat who is opposed to manual labor, his, but is willing to accept cash contributions from women...".

My favorite, other than Killer Joe, is 'Park Avenue Petite', a hopeless love ballad about a guy from the ghetto who sees and attractive uptown lady he will never know. When asked "how long should you pause between notes in a ballad?", Benny replied "long enough to go out for a sandwich! A ballad gives the artist no place to hide. Ballads are harder than bebop." I agree, wholeheartedly.

Title track is from Golson's playing in the Spielberg/Tom Hanks movie of the same name.

There is a gentle unhurried swing to most numbers. Benny doesn't push everyone else to the side to solo, in fact often Ed Henderson's trumpet seems in the lead. Great warm bass work here too, by the man in love with the E string, Buster Williams. Well recorded. satisfying. Jazz in the traditional style of late Stan and early/middle Miles.

well recorded

Benny Golson.....a big, rich, vibrant sound. Old school yet writes, arranges, plays with all the verve, zest , and "chops" of the present "youngsters''. Killer Joe will remain a classic for years to come!

In my opinion the real star of this CD is Henderson on Trumpet. It is a class a performance. Perfectly rides the line between the expected and the unexpected. Lyrical and never overpowering, his playing is playful and MUSICAL!!

I found the CD to be quite satisfactory. It was the smooth jazz Golson is known for, and included his trademark "Killer Joe" instrumental. The only down side is that it didn't include the vocal rendition. I am a big fan of both instrumental and vocal.