Golson, who died Sept. 21, captured the sunny optimism of American within the late ’50s and early ’60s. He composed inner music for hit TV reveals and appeared as himself within the 2004 movie The Terminal.
TERRY GROSS, HOST:
That is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF BENNY GOLSON AND ART FARMER’S “KILLER JOE”)
GROSS: The nice composer and saxophonist Benny Golson died final month on the age of 95. A lot of his works grew to become virtually immediate jazz classics within the late ’50s. And he composed inner music for hit TV reveals, together with the Mod Squad, and even appeared as himself within the Steven Spielberg film. Visitor jazz critic Martin Johnson takes a glance again and means that Golson’s music continues to be very a lot with us.
(SOUNDBITE OF BENNY GOLSON AND ART FARMER’S “KILLER JOE”)
MARTIN JOHNSON: That is “Killer Joe,” one of many many classics from the pen of composer and saxophonist Benny Golson, a grasp of capturing the sunny optimism of America within the late ’50s and early ’60s. The tune may very well be a soundtrack for cruising in a convertible on a sunny day. Golson wrote plenty of music that felt each emblematic of its time but concurrently timeless. And he recorded these songs with a few of the finest musicians of the period.
(SOUNDBITE OF ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS’ “ALONG CAME BETTY”)
JOHNSON: Here is one other Golson basic, “Alongside Got here Betty,” Golson on tenor with Artwork Blakey & The Jazz Messengers recorded in 1958. The Betty of the title was a girl of curiosity for Golson. And the tune, with its relaxed, virtually nonchalant groove, is subtle and restrained. It savors the potential affection within the relationship moderately than simply blaring lust. Golson’s work is recognized as onerous bop, however he knew a smooth aspect, too.
(SOUNDBITE OF ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS’ “ALONG CAME BETTY”)
JOHNSON: Golson’s genius for melody made his music cool and approachable for the listener. But these songs had been stuffed with challenges for the participant. His tune “Whisper Not” begins in a single key and ends in one other, sort of like a conversational scene in a film that modifications setting with out shedding the thread.
(SOUNDBITE OF BENNY GOLSON’S “WHISPER NOT”)
JOHNSON: “Whisper Not” has an amazing march-like shout refrain, a flourish Golson picked up from the large bands. He started his profession enjoying in orchestras led by legends like Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie.
(SOUNDBITE OF BENNY GOLSON’S “WHISPER NOT”)
JOHNSON: Benny Golson was born in Philadelphia and grew up in a hotbed of jazz exercise. His friends included greats like trumpeter Lee Morgan, the Heath Brothers – saxophonist Jimmy and bassist Percy – in addition to many others from close by locales, together with Clifford Brown, who was from Delaware and died tragically in an car accident on the Pennsylvania turnpike when he was solely 25. Golson’s best-known piece, “I Bear in mind Clifford,” is a threnody, a brooding lament for Brown.
(SONDBITE OF BENNY GOLSON’S “I REMEMBER CLIFFORD”)
JOHNSON: When the jazz economic system contracted severely within the mid- and late ’60s, Golson went to Hollywood, like his colleagues Oliver Nelson and Lalo Schifrin, who composed the well-known theme for the present “Mission Unattainable.” Golson composed inner music for that present, in addition to hits like “Room 222” and “The Partridge Household.” Mockingly, it was the rise of rock that diminished alternatives for musicians like Golson, but he rebounded by writing music for a present that featured rock.
Years later, Golson appeared as himself within the 2004 Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones film, “The Terminal.” By this time, Golson had returned to the bandstand. He reunited his group, the Jazztet, and recorded a number of wonderful data, most notably “Second To Second” in 1983.
As he aged, Golson’s saxophone type did not mellow. It grew to become extra gruff and acerbic, as if he was reaching additional again towards his early idols, the raucous rhythm and blues stylings of Arnett Cobb, whose music first enraptured Golson as a youth. Here is the title monitor from “Second To Second.”
(SOUNDBITE OF THE JAZZTET’S “MOMENT TO MOMENT”)
JOHNSON: Based on the Lord discography, Golson’s songs have been coated greater than 1,000 instances. The vary consists of basic performances of “Whisper Not” by Ella Fitzgerald and Al Jarreau to newcomers just like the collective trio Thumbscrew, whose avant-garde strategy and stylings are an ideal match for Golson’s “Stablemates,” proving that his music, although emblematic of an period, can also be timeless.
(SOUNDBITE OF THUMBSCREW’S “STABLEMATES”)
JOHNSON: Golson wrote that tune in 1955, and Miles Davis recorded it shortly afterward. Nevertheless it’s straightforward to listen to the connection between variations executed greater than 60 years later and the unique, executed right here by Golson in 1958. It is a connection that musicians can be drawing repeatedly for a protracted, very long time.
(SOUNDBITE OF BENNY GOLSON’S “STABLEMATES”)
GROSS: Martin Johnson writes about jazz for the Wall Avenue Journal. If you would like to make amends for FRESH AIR interviews you missed, like this week’s interviews with Al Pacino and Alex Van Halen, take a look at our podcast. You may discover a number of FRESH AIR interviews.
(SOUNDBITE OF BENNY GOLSON’S “STABLEMATES”)
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FRESH AIR’s government producer is Danny Miller. Our technical director is Audrey Bentham. Our engineer is Adam Staniszewski. Our interviews and opinions are produced and edited by Phyllis Myers, Roberta Shorrock, Ann Marie Baldonado, Sam Briger, Lauren Krenzel, Therese Madden, Monique Nazareth, Susan Nyakundi and Anna Bauman. Our digital media producers are Molly Seavy-Nesper and Sabrina Seiwert. Thea Chaloner directed at the moment’s present. Our co-host is Tonya Mosley. I am Terry Gross.
(SOUNDBITE OF BENNY GOLSON’S “STABLEMATES”)
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