Composer
Benny Golson
American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger (1929–2024)
1929–2024
16 works in the index
- Born
- 1929
- Died
- 2024
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia
- Place of death
- New York City
- Citizenship / historical state
- United States
- Period (estimated from birth year)
- Contemporary
Biography
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.
Biography excerpt from Wikipedia contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting and reference markers have been removed; the introduction may be shortened. View contributors and article history.
Life and musical career
- Occupations
- composer; jazz musician; saxophonist; recording artist; musician; music arranger; bandleader
- Education
- Howard University
- Recorded memberships
- Curtis Fuller's Quintet
- Instruments played
- saxophone; tenor saxophone
- Genres
- jazz; jazz fusion
- Notable works
- Killer Joe
- Official website
- http://www.bennygolson.com/
- Languages used
- English
- VIAF ID
- 2656190
- ISNI
- 0000000078389344
- GND ID
- 134387635
- Library of Congress ID
- n83160892
- MusicBrainz ID
- 486bfccd-e9d5-4d7e-96b1-b9bbc6218743
Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.
In this catalogue
- Common listed instruments
- Voice, Guitar, Piano
- Genres represented
- Jazz
- Works with composition dates
- 0 of 16
These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.
Catalogue
Works
Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.
| Work | Year composed | Catalogue / opus | Key in title | Listed instruments | Genre | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Are You Real? | — | — | — | Voice | — | 12 |
| Blues March | — | — | — | Voice | — | 9 |
| Along Came Betty | — | — | — | Guitar, Voice | Jazz | 8 |
| Killer Joe | — | — | — | Piano, Guitar, Voice | Jazz | 9 |
| Stablemates | — | — | — | Voice | — | 5 |
| Whisper Not | — | — | — | Voice | — | 7 |
| Ease Away Walk | — | — | — | Voice | — | 4 |
| I Remember Clifford | — | — | — | Voice | — | 3 |
| Lullaby Of Birdland | — | — | — | Piano | Jazz | 1 |
| Park Avenue Petite | — | — | — | Guitar | Jazz | 1 |
| Blues March - Piano Accompaniment | — | — | — | Piano | — | 1 |
| Blues It | — | — | — | Guitar | — | 1 |
| Five Spot After Dark | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Gypsy Jingle-Jangle | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
| Step Lightly | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Starfire | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. Authority record: VIAF 2656190. Portrait: Ed Newman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.