Benny Golson’s Groovin’ with Golson brings together the qualities that make him such a complete jazz musician: a distinctive tenor voice, memorable composition and an arranger’s ear for how instruments fit together. “My Blues House” begins from a direct blues foundation, but its details reveal careful design. Golson’s lines have a dry, concentrated character, and the quintet gives the theme both weight and room.
Curtis Fuller’s trombone is an ideal partner for Golson, adding a broad brass colour without making the front line cumbersome. Ray Bryant on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Art Blakey on drums form a rhythm section of exceptional authority. “The Stroller” moves with precisely the relaxed confidence its title suggests, while “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” allows Golson to reshape a standard through tone and phrasing. “Yesterdays” brings a more reflective close. Ensemble passages frame the improvising voices with unusual economy. The album never asks the listener to choose between composition and improvisation: the themes are strong enough to remain in memory, and the solos grow naturally from their character. That balance is central to Golson’s achievement.
This stereo Analogue Productions Prestige edition presents Groovin’ with Golson on one 180-gram LP. The focused quintet programme makes an excellent choice for collectors interested in Golson not only as the writer of jazz standards but as a powerful and individual tenor player. Michael 45 holds the goods in Germany and ships from Hilden, so German and EU customers can avoid arranging a personal US import or waiting for customs clearance.
Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe
Series: Analogue Productions Prestige – all 50 records, musicians and session paths
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