I'm so glad you mention his album "Free." As a 14-year old in 1964, I'd started getting Downbeat at the newsstand. Then I asked my father if he'd write a check for a year's subscription. At that time, Downbeat was offering an LP as a "premium" to new subscribers. I can't remember if they gave you a choice or if there was just one album on offer at any given time. In any case, I liked the look of the album cover as depicted in the offering, and "Free" arrived at our doorstep in the promised 6-8 weeks. I played it to death and it influenced my taste ever after.
I inherited very old fake books, reference books for a highly regarded world-class music engraver; these contained many Golson tunes, that I didn't see in the Berklee/Sher RB's, or the multi-fakebook CDs that traveled hand to hand in the 90's (Fireman's Fakebook, etc). I found Domingo, Park Ave Petite, Just By Myself, Are You Real, ... tunes I'm sure the real listeners knew/know, but for a greenhorn, treasures to share, a thread leading toward Golson-Farmer, The Philadelphians.
Happy to have been Gone with Golson. Xxx This is a nice portrait, thanks EI.
TL:DR note: I wrote Mr. Golson asking for sheet music for Staccato Swing from "Gone...", his publicist politely identified Ray Bryant as the composer; far down the food chain, I was thrilled to get a reply at all. It was the spark that eventually pulled my flimsy real book jam into really trying to bring music out, attempting to advance past jam as live karaoke fumbling, admittedly to more frightening fumbling. The Golson tunes upgraded my set list; and helped initiate my aspirations: in spite of KJAZ and KMPX (SFBay), the 70-80's loft jazz was prominent, I hadn't known to look toward the pageant of development of small group details. "What's a 'shout chorus'?" We were lost in "soloing" over revolving fakebook heads, sidestepping learning by ear. "We learned exactly from the records what each instrument played", told to me by a session musician educated working since traveling w the 30-40's big bands. TL;DR Golson's ambition, vision, and musicality opened the door, to trying to hear and understand what jazz as a community were thinking. I didn't know 2D "head-solo-head" can go 3-D, how to listen for that; luckily Golson music provided a lot of shapes to prime the green mind that was blocking my ears. :) ...sorry so long
Thank you for this remembrance of Benny Golson. I love to play his pieces, especially my all time favorite ballad, “Park Avenue Petite”. A gorgeous rendition can be heard on Blue Mitchell’s “Soulmates” album.
“How can you talk about Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman? Eric Dolphy was a master musician. Ornette Coleman can only play in the key of C.
Ornette Coleman doesn't have any color in his music. Jazz is supposed to have a tradition. I don't hear any tradition in Ornette Coleman. I don't hear any Charlie Parker in his playing.
Now I like the songs he writes- they're good songs. But he could never be the the player Eric Dolphy was." Downbeat Feb. 27, 1975.
Also, would love to get an Iverson elaboration on, “I blame capitalism.” Cheers!
Well, who I am to disagree with Charles Mingus? But I hear a lot of Bird in Ornette. Indeed, I almost hear more Bird in Ornette than Bird in Eric Dolphy. Of course I love Dolphy too, but he seems more intellectual and mathematical compared to the vocal blues of Bird and Ornette.
“I blame capitalism" just means that everyone was negotiating careers supported by hard ticket sales. Some of the competitive attitudes were surely informed by the simple need to put food on the table.
Wasn’t there a Jamey Aeberspld Benny Golson volume? That says something right there, in terms of tunes contributed to the canon. By the way, for those who care, to my ears “Whisper Not” is one of the most enjoyable Jarrett trio releases.
A lovely and typically wide-ranging piece. Thank you.
I am a bit confused by this statement from Golson: "I asked how he arrived at what he’s doing. He said he played in the ‘tenor clef.’ It was ridiculous. There is no such thing."
Well, as trombonists, cellists, and bassists know, there *is* such a thing as the tenor clef; it's a C clef sitting on the second line from the top of the staff. And Golson undoubtedly did enough scoring to know this.
So what was he actually saying there, other than that "I play tenor clef" was a meaningless distinction? Any clue?
It is possibly mis-transcribed by the interviewer. What I do know: at Ornette’s house he would show you everything written in every clef, and would insist that music sounded different in each clef. It dumbfounded professionals.
I'm so glad you mention his album "Free." As a 14-year old in 1964, I'd started getting Downbeat at the newsstand. Then I asked my father if he'd write a check for a year's subscription. At that time, Downbeat was offering an LP as a "premium" to new subscribers. I can't remember if they gave you a choice or if there was just one album on offer at any given time. In any case, I liked the look of the album cover as depicted in the offering, and "Free" arrived at our doorstep in the promised 6-8 weeks. I played it to death and it influenced my taste ever after.
Awesome! Thanks for comment!
So important...
I inherited very old fake books, reference books for a highly regarded world-class music engraver; these contained many Golson tunes, that I didn't see in the Berklee/Sher RB's, or the multi-fakebook CDs that traveled hand to hand in the 90's (Fireman's Fakebook, etc). I found Domingo, Park Ave Petite, Just By Myself, Are You Real, ... tunes I'm sure the real listeners knew/know, but for a greenhorn, treasures to share, a thread leading toward Golson-Farmer, The Philadelphians.
Happy to have been Gone with Golson. Xxx This is a nice portrait, thanks EI.
TL:DR note: I wrote Mr. Golson asking for sheet music for Staccato Swing from "Gone...", his publicist politely identified Ray Bryant as the composer; far down the food chain, I was thrilled to get a reply at all. It was the spark that eventually pulled my flimsy real book jam into really trying to bring music out, attempting to advance past jam as live karaoke fumbling, admittedly to more frightening fumbling. The Golson tunes upgraded my set list; and helped initiate my aspirations: in spite of KJAZ and KMPX (SFBay), the 70-80's loft jazz was prominent, I hadn't known to look toward the pageant of development of small group details. "What's a 'shout chorus'?" We were lost in "soloing" over revolving fakebook heads, sidestepping learning by ear. "We learned exactly from the records what each instrument played", told to me by a session musician educated working since traveling w the 30-40's big bands. TL;DR Golson's ambition, vision, and musicality opened the door, to trying to hear and understand what jazz as a community were thinking. I didn't know 2D "head-solo-head" can go 3-D, how to listen for that; luckily Golson music provided a lot of shapes to prime the green mind that was blocking my ears. :) ...sorry so long
interesting story, thanks!
Thank you for this remembrance of Benny Golson. I love to play his pieces, especially my all time favorite ballad, “Park Avenue Petite”. A gorgeous rendition can be heard on Blue Mitchell’s “Soulmates” album.
Charles Mingus to John Litweiler in 1975:
“How can you talk about Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman? Eric Dolphy was a master musician. Ornette Coleman can only play in the key of C.
Ornette Coleman doesn't have any color in his music. Jazz is supposed to have a tradition. I don't hear any tradition in Ornette Coleman. I don't hear any Charlie Parker in his playing.
Now I like the songs he writes- they're good songs. But he could never be the the player Eric Dolphy was." Downbeat Feb. 27, 1975.
Also, would love to get an Iverson elaboration on, “I blame capitalism.” Cheers!
Well, who I am to disagree with Charles Mingus? But I hear a lot of Bird in Ornette. Indeed, I almost hear more Bird in Ornette than Bird in Eric Dolphy. Of course I love Dolphy too, but he seems more intellectual and mathematical compared to the vocal blues of Bird and Ornette.
“I blame capitalism" just means that everyone was negotiating careers supported by hard ticket sales. Some of the competitive attitudes were surely informed by the simple need to put food on the table.
Knowing Mingus, he may have been trying to tweak Litweiler just a little bit
Wasn’t there a Jamey Aeberspld Benny Golson volume? That says something right there, in terms of tunes contributed to the canon. By the way, for those who care, to my ears “Whisper Not” is one of the most enjoyable Jarrett trio releases.
A lovely and typically wide-ranging piece. Thank you.
I am a bit confused by this statement from Golson: "I asked how he arrived at what he’s doing. He said he played in the ‘tenor clef.’ It was ridiculous. There is no such thing."
Well, as trombonists, cellists, and bassists know, there *is* such a thing as the tenor clef; it's a C clef sitting on the second line from the top of the staff. And Golson undoubtedly did enough scoring to know this.
So what was he actually saying there, other than that "I play tenor clef" was a meaningless distinction? Any clue?
It is possibly mis-transcribed by the interviewer. What I do know: at Ornette’s house he would show you everything written in every clef, and would insist that music sounded different in each clef. It dumbfounded professionals.