| Benny Green | |
| Birth Date: | 4 April 1963 |
| Birth Place: | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Piano |
| Label: | Criss Cross, Blue Note, Telarc, Sunnyside |
| Associated Acts: | Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers |
Benny Green (born April 4, 1963) is an American hard bop jazz pianist who was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He has been compared to Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson in style and counts them as influences.[1]
Green was born in New York City. He grew up in Berkeley, California, and studied classical piano from the age of seven. He was also interested in jazz from an early point, as his father was a jazz tenor saxophone player. Benny Green was "discovered" by Faye Carroll, and while still in his teens worked in a quintet led by Eddie Henderson. Green attended Berkeley High School, and participated in the school's jazz ensemble. In the later years of his high school career, he had a weekly trio gig at Yoshi's, which was his entrance to the world of professional jazz. After high school, he spent time in San Francisco, but became more successful on his return to New York.[2] [3]
Green joined Betty Carter's band in April, 1983, and since 1991 he has led his own trio. He has recorded for Blue Note, Telarc, and Criss Cross.
Green frequently teaches in workshops across the United States, such as Jazz Camp West in California, and Centrum/Jazz Port Townsend in Washington. He currently resides in the United States and tours globally with his trio. Then and Now is a studio album recorded and released in 2018 by Sunnyside Records.
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Prelude | Criss Cross | Quintet, with Terence Blanchard (trumpet), Javon Jackson (tenor sax), Peter Washington (bass), Tony Reedus (drums) | |
| 1988–89 | In This Direction | Criss Cross | Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) | |
| 1990 | Lineage | Blue Note | Trio, with Ray Drummond (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) | |
| 1991 | Greens | Blue Note | Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Carl Allen (drums) | |
| 1991 | Testifyin'!: Live at the Village Vanguard | Blue Note | Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Carl Allen (drums); in concert | |
| 1992 | That's Right! | Blue Note | Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Carl Allen (drums) | |
| 1994 | The Place to Be | Blue Note | Some tracks solo piano; some tracks trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Kenny Washington (drums); some tracks nonet, with Byron Stripling (trumpet), Delfeayo Marsalis (trombone), John Clark (French horn), Herb Besson (tuba), Jerry Dodgion (flute, alto flute, alto sax), Gary Smulyan (baritone sax) added | |
| 1996 | Kaleidoscope | Blue Note | With Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), Antonio Hart (alto sax), Russell Malone (guitar), Ron Carter (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) | |
| 1997 | Oscar and Benny | Telarc | Quartet, with Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Gregory Hutchinson (drums) | |
| 1999 | These Are Soulful Days | Blue Note | Trio, with Russell Malone (guitar), Christian McBride (bass) | |
| 2000 | Naturally | Telarc | Trio, with Russell Malone (guitar), Christian McBride (bass) | |
| 2001 | Green's Blues | Telarc | Solo piano | |
| 2002 | Jazz at the Bistro | Telarc | Duo, with Russell Malone (guitar); in concert | |
| 2003 | Bluebird | Telarc | Duo, with Russell Malone (guitar) | |
| 2011? | Source | Jazz Legacy | ||
| 2013? | Magic Beans | Sunnyside | Trio, with Peter Washington (bass), Kenny Washington (drums) | |
| 2013 | Live in Santa Cruz! | Sunnyside | Trio, with David Wong (bass), Kenny Washington (drums); in concert | |
| 2016 | Happiness! Live at Kuumbwa | Sunnyside | Trio, with David Wong (bass), Rodney Green (drums); in concert | |
| 2018 | Then and Now | Sunnyside | Some tracks trio, with David Wong (bass), Kenny Washington (drums); one track quartet, with Anne Drummond (flute, alto flute) added; two tracks quintet, with Drummond, Josh Jones (percussion) added; four tracks quartet, with Veronica Swift (vocals) added | |
| 2020 | Benny's Crib | Sunnyside | Green plays the Fender Rhodes electric piano on all 11 tracks, with acoustic piano added on two. David Wong (bass), Aaron Kimmel (drums), Anne Drummond (flute), Josh Jones (congas). Veronica Swift performs vocals on "Benny's Crib". | |
| 2022 | Solo | Sunnyside | Solo piano[4] |
With Art Blakey
With Bob Belden
With Don Braden
With Cecil Brooks III
With Ray Brown
With Arnett Cobb
With Freddie Hubbard
With Etta Jones
With Ralph Moore
With Houston Person
With Jimmy Ponder
With Jim Snidero
With Lew Tabackin
With Jack Walrath
With others