Benny Green (pianist)

:"Not to be confused with British jazz saxophonist Benny Green."Benny Green (born April 4, 1963 in New York City) is a hard bop jazz pianist who "graduated" from Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He has been compared to Bud Powell in style and counts him as an influence. As a boy he grew up in Berkeley, California and studied classical piano from the age of seven. He also had an interest in jazz from an early point as his father was a jazz tenor saxophone player. Benny Green was "discovered" by Faye Carroll and later while still in his teens worked in a quintet led by Eddie Henderson.

After high school he spent time in San Francisco, but professional success came on his return to New York. He joined Betty Carter's band in April, 1983 and since 1991 he has led his own trio. He has worked most with Blue Note Records, Telarc International Corporation, and started with the Dutch label Criss Cross. He lists Erroll Garner, Ahmad Jamal, Phineas Newborn, Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson as prime influences.

Discography

As leader:
* "Jazz at the Bistro [live] (2003) Telarc"
* "Green's Blues (2001) Telarc"
* "Naturally (2000) Telarc"
* "These Are Soulful Days (1999) Blue Note"
* "Oscar and Benny (1998) Telarc
* "Kaleidoscope (1997) Blue Note
* "Place to Be (1994) Blue Note
* "Testifyin'!: Live at the Village Vanguard (1992) Blue Note
* "That's Right! (1992) Blue Note
* "Greens (1991) Blue Note
* "Lineage (1990) Blue Note
* "Prelude (1988) Criss Cross
* "In This Direction (1988) Criss Cross

Appears on:
* "Gary Bartz Shadows (1991) Piano
* "Bob Belden Ensemble Straight to My Heart: The Music of (1989) Piano
* "Bob Belden When the Doves Cry: Piano
* "The Music of Prince (1993)
* "Art Blakey Hard Champion: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (1985) Piano
* "Art Blakey I Get a Kick out of Bu (1988) Piano
* "Art Blakey Not Yet (1988) Piano
* "Art Blakey Feel the Wind (1989) Piano
* "Block 16 Morning Sun Remixed (2002) Remixing
* "Don Braden Quintet Time Is Now (1991) Piano
* "Don Braden Wish List (1991) Piano
* "Cecil Brooks III Hangin' With Smooth (1990) Piano
* "Cecil Brooks III Our Mister Brooks (2000) Piano
* "Big Bill Broonzy 1955 London Sessions (1955) Bass
* "Ray Brown Bass Face (1993) Piano
* "Ray Brown Trio With Benny... Don't Get Sassy (1994) Piano
* "Ray Brown Some of My Best Friends Are...The... (1994) Piano
* "Ray Brown Seven Steps to Heaven (1995) Piano
* "Ray Brown Some of My Best Friends Are...The... (1995) Piano
* "Ray Brown Live at Scullers Jazz Club (1996) Piano
* "Ray Brown with John... Super Bass (1997) Piano
* "Ray Brown Triple Play (1998) Piano
* "Ray Brown Trio Walk On (2003) Piano
* "Betty Carter Compact Jazz: Betty Carter (1976) Piano
* "Betty Carter Look What I Got (1988) Piano
* "Arnett Cobb with Heath... Tenor Tribute, Vol. 1 (1988) Piano
* "Arnett Cobb/Jimmy Heath... Tenor Tribute, Vol. 2 (1988) Piano
* "Dalida Annees Barclay (1997) Composer
* "Mark Elf Minor Scramble (1996) Piano
* "Larry Gales Message from Monk (1990) Piano
* "George Gershwin S'Wonderful (1992) Piano
* "Tim Hagans & Marcus... Hub Songs: The Music of Freddie... (1997) Piano, Vocals
* "Jay Hoggard Little Tiger (1990) Piano
* "Fred Horn Steady Freddy Collective Cuts (1995) Keyboards
* "Freddie Hubbard Topsy: Standard Book (1989) Piano
* "Freddie Hubbard Live at Fat Tuesday (1991) Piano
* "Freddie Hubbard God Bless the Child [Music Master] (1998) Piano
* "Milt Jackson Burnin' in the Woodhouse (1995) Piano
* "Ron Jackson Guitar Thing (1991) Piano
* "Jazz Futures Live in Concert (1991) Piano
* "Randy Johnston Walk On (1991) Piano
* "Etta Jones At Last (1993) Piano
* "Etta Jones My Gentleman Friend (1994) Piano
* "Vince Jones One Day Spent (1991) Piano
* "Kristin Korb Introducing Kristin Korb With the... (1996) Piano
* "Diana Krall All for You (1995) Piano
* "Michael Logan Night Out (1990) Piano
* "Brian Lynch In Process (1991) Piano
* "Mingus Dynasty Next Generation Performs Charles... (1991) Piano
* "Ralph Moore Round Trip (1985) Piano
* "Ralph Moore Images (1988) Piano
* "Ralph Moore Furthermore (1990) Piano
* "Ralph Moore Who It is You Are (1993) Piano
* "Ralph Moore Complete Landmark Recordings (1999) Piano
* "Amani A.W. Murray Amani A.W. Murray (1990) Piano
* "Randy Napoleon Between Friends (2006) Piano
* "Houston Person Lion and His Pride (1991) Piano
* "Houston Person Christmas With Houston Person and... (1994) Piano
* "Houston Person Little Houston on the Side (1999) Piano
* "Houston Person Santa Baby Piano
* "Oscar Peterson Tribute (1997) Piano
* "Oscar Peterson & Benny... Oscar & Benny (1998) Performer
* "Flip Phillips Swing Is the Thing! (2000) Piano
* "John Pizzarelli Dear Mr. Cole (1994) Piano
* "Lisa Pollard I See Your Face Before Me (1993) Piano
* "Jimmy Ponder Soul Eyes (1991) Piano
* "Jimmy Ponder Steel City Soul (1998) Piano
* "Zoot Sims Zoot Sims and the Gershwin... (1975) Liner Notes
* "Zoot Sims with Jimmy... If I'm Lucky (1977) Producer, Liner Notes
* "Jim Snidero Quintet Mixed Bag (1987) Piano
* "Jim Snidero Blue Afternoon (1989) Piano
* "Jim Snidero Quartet While You Were Here (1991) Piano
* "Lew Tabackin Quartet I'll Be Seeing You (1992) Piano
* "Lew Tabackin Quartet What a Little Moonlight Can Do (1994) Piano
* "Clark Terry One on One (2000) Piano
* "Steve Turre Right There (1991) Piano
* "Jack Walrath & The Masters Out of the Tradition (1990) Piano
* "Jack Walrath I Am the Walrath (2000) Piano
* "Bobby Watson Inventor (1989) Piano
* "Josh White Blues And... (1998) Sax (Baritone)
* "Various Artists Blue Piano, Vol. 2 (1955) PerformerVarious Artists Yule Struttin' (1990) Piano, PerformerVarious Artists Santa's Bag: An All-Star Jazz... (1992) PianoVarious Artists All-Star Jazz Christmas (1992) PianoVarious Artists Jazz Celebration: a Tribute to... (1992) PianoVarious Artists S'Wonderful: The Gershwin Songbook (1992)PianoVarious Artists Jazz Showcase (1994) PianoVarious Artists Blue Note Now! (1994) PerformerVarious Artists Esquire Jazz Collection:... (1995) PianoVarious Artists Fujitsu-Concord 27th Jazz Festival (1995)Various Artists Complete Gershwin Songbooks (1995 PianoVarious Artists For the Love of Monk (1997) PianoVarious Artists It's Monk's Tune (1997) PianoVarious Artists Jazz After Hours (1998) PianoVarious Artists Surround Sounds, Vol. 2 (1998) PianoVarious Artists Blue Note Plays Gershwin (1999) PianoVarious Artists Essential Young Lions, Vol. 1 (1999) PerformerVarious Artists Jazz for Those Peaceful Moments... (1999) PianoVarious Artists 32 More Gems from 32 Jazz (2000) PianoVarious Artists Romance in Rio (2000) PianoVarious Artists Jazz Piano Christmas (2000) PianoVarious Artists Richard Rodgers Centennial Jazz... (2001) PianoVarious Artists Signature Songs (2002) PianoVarious Artists Telarc Celebrating 25 Years: The... (2002) PianoVarious Artists I Heard It on NPR: Jazz for Blue... (2002) PianoVarious Artists I Heard It on NPR CD Box Set: Jazz (2003) Piano

External links

* [http://www.bennygreenmusic.com/]
* [http://www.telarc.com/]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/music/muze/index.pl?site=radio2&action=biography&artist_id=12444&rand= BBC Radio 2]
* [http://www.amsartists.com/benny_green/biography.html AMS artists]
* [http://www.bennygreenmusic.com/ Benny Green's website]