Mr. Mellifluous: A Listener’s Guide to Benny Golson

By Kevin Whitehead, eMusic Contributor

Most jazz fans recognize Benny Golson's tunes, even if they don't know who wrote them. Art Blakey played "Blues March" every night for decades, "Stablemates" has been a jam session favorite even longer, and mastering "I Remember Clifford" is a trumpeter's rite of passage. Golson's melodies sound good on their own, and have a way of slyly drawing improvisers in. His tunes have such strong shapes, soloists need only hint at their contours to sound focused… more »