At the age of 95, the famous tenor saxophonist, songwriter and arranger Benny Golson passed away suddenly, leaving the jazz world saddened by one of its most beloved figures. A towering figure in the jazz world, Golson's contribution to the genre spanned over seven decades, and jazz performers and fans alike mourn the passing of an era. With his departure, Sonny Rollins becomes the last surviving performer from the famous “A Great Day in Harlem” photo shoot, which serves as a poignant reminder of both the jazz greats of the past and an era now gone.
There is much more to Benny Golson's legacy than just his prowess on the tenor saxophone. As a band leader, arranger and composer, he is considered one of the titans of the hard bop movement, which produced some of the most inventive and significant jazz works ever. His works made a lasting impression on the world of music, and his passing cuts a significant link in the chain connecting the jazz community to the period in which the genre developed.
Benny Golson was first introduced to jazz on January 25, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, through the sounds of the legendary swing and bebop artists of the 1940s. Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker—the bebop pioneer whose innovative approach to improvisation encouraged Golson to pursue a career in jazz—were among the people who shaped Golson's early musical experiences. His time at Howard University, where he studied music and honed his compositional and performance skills, laid the foundation for his long and meaningful career.
Golson joined the big bands of Bull Moss Jackson and then Lionel Hampton in the late 1940s, marking the beginning of his professional career. However, it was his work in the 1950s and 1960s that cemented his status as a leading tenor saxophone player and composer, particularly while playing with hard bop legends such as Art Blakey, Horace Silver and Dizzy Gillespie. He became close friends with trumpeter Clifford Brown during this time, a relationship that would have a lasting influence on Golson's musical philosophy and would inspire one of his best-known pieces, “I Remember Clifford,” a moving remembrance of his departed friend. Died tragically young in a car accident in 1956.