Photo: Ed Newman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Saxophonists · 1929–2024

Benny Golson

American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger (1929–2024)

Born: 25 January 1929
Philadelphia
Died: 21 September 2024
New York City
Country: United States
Record labels: Prestige
Discography: 29 albums

Biography

Benny Golson was a jazz musician who played saxophone and tenor saxophone. Benny Golson was born on 25 January 1929 in Philadelphia and died on 21 September 2024 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz and jazz fusion. Record labels: Prestige. The discography here lists 29 albums, from “Benny Golson's New York Scene” (1957) to “Horizon Ahead” (2016). Honours include Guggenheim Fellowship (1994) and NEA Jazz Masters.

Benny Golson (January 25, 1929 – September 21, 2024) was an American bebop and hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. 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. Golson was known for co-founding and co-leading The Jazztet with trumpeter Art Farmer in 1959. 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 re-formed the Jazztet in 1982. Many of Golson's compositions have become jazz standards, including "I Remember Clifford", "Blues March", "Stablemates", "Whisper Not", "Along Came Betty", and "Killer Joe". He is regarded as "one of the most significant contributors" to the development of hard bop jazz, and was a recipient of a Grammy Trustees Award in 2021.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Benny Golson's New York Scene 1957

Groovin' With Golson 1959

The Other Side of Benny Golson 1959

Gettin' With It 1960

Gone With Golson 1960

Take a Number From 1 to 10 1961

Free 1962

Turning Point 1963

The Dynamic Jack Mc Duff 1964

Just Jazz! 1965

Stockholm Sojourn 1965

Tune In Turn On: To the Hippest Commercials of the Sixties 1967

Killer Joe 1977

I'm Always Dancin' to the Music 1978

California Message 1981

Time Speaks 1983

Stardust 1987

This Is for You John 1987

Up Jump Spring 1990

I Remember Miles 1992

Up Jumped Benny 1996 · Live

Benny Golson and the Philadelphians 1998

Tenor Legacy 1998

One Day, Forever 2001

Terminal 1 2004

Live in Mosciano Sant'Angelo: Oh, Jazz Be Good! 2004 2005 · Live

New Time, New 'Tet 2009

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos 1, 3 and 5 2011

Horizon Ahead 2016

Also plays on

Albums where Benny Golson is credited as a sideman

1957	Dizzy in Greece — Dizzy Gillespie	arranger, tenor saxophone
1959	The Birth of a Band — Quincy Jones	tenor saxophone

Standards written by Benny Golson

Title	Key	Form	Groove
Whisper Not	C minor	AABA · 32	Medium swing
I Remember Clifford	E♭ major	AABA · 32	Ballad
Blues March	B♭ major	AABB · 48	Medium swing
Along Came Betty	A♭ major	ABC · 34	Medium swing
Stablemates	D♭ major	ABA · 36	Medium swing
The Cool One	G major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Domingo	C minor	AAB · 40	Up-tempo swing

Awards

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Benny Golson play?

Benny Golson is known for playing saxophone and tenor saxophone.

When and where was Benny Golson born?

Benny Golson was born 25 January 1929 in Philadelphia.

What are Benny Golson's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Benny Golson's New York Scene (1957), Groovin' With Golson (1959), The Other Side of Benny Golson (1959), Gettin' With It (1960) and Gone With Golson (1960).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.