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Benny Green: Live In Santa Cruz

By Mark Corroto
April 24, 2015
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We hope you've made the journey these past thirty plus years with pianist

Benny Green

piano
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Benny Green. From hotshot young lion to keeper of the jazz flame he has consistently electrified audiences with his live performances. Live In Santa Cruz recorded at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center follows up on a recording he made as bassist

Ray Brown

bass, acoustic
1926 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Ray Brown's sideman twenty years ago. Green built a career, first as an apprentice to

Betty Carter

vocals
1929 - 1998

" data-original-title="" title="">Betty Carter, then

Art Blakey

drums
1919 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Blakey,

Freddie Hubbard

trumpet
1938 - 2008

" data-original-title="" title="">Freddie Hubbard, then Brown. His career as a leader found early success with first Blue Note, then Telarc, and more recently, his revival with Sunnyside. As the market, or perhaps marketing departments, ebbed and flowed into then out of a taste for traditional jazz, Green's exposure has waxed and waned.

What hasn't diminished are his skills at the keyboard, and more importantly, his knack for entertaining audiences.

Playing Santa Cruz, side-by-side with Testifying: Live At The Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1992) confirms his status as a true jazz maestro. The pianist recorded these tracks on his annual performance at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, and the audience ready, willing and primed for his appearance. The nine tracks are all originals, they range form the firecracker opener "Certainly" to the slow drag blues "Golden Flamingo," and an intricately simple ballad "Forgiveness."

Green's music works best in a trio format. Here he calls upon his musical twin, drummer

Kenny Washington

drums
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Washington and bassist David Wong to favor the music. The crowd's energy is felt throughout. Green reintroduces "Phoebe's Samba," a composition written for his sister and recorded years ago on Lineage (Blue Note, 1990). The energy rises here and on his mayhem cyclone tribute to the hard bop pianist "Sonny Clark." Green's facility and hardwire swing carry the day. "Bish Bash" summons the spirit of

Bud Powell

piano
1924 - 1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Bud Powell at his bebop height, and the final track "Anna's Blues" has the crown on their feet. Green's music dares you to not clap, dance, or smile. Can't be done.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Certainly; Phoebe��s Samba; Catus Flower; Sonny Clark; Golden Flamingo; Tales Of Malone; Forgiveness; Bish Bash; Anna��s Blues.

Personnel

Benny Green

piano

Benny Green: piano; David Wong: bass; Kenny Washington: drums.

Album information

Title: Live In Santa Cruz | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records

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