This is a welcome vinyl upgrade of a hard bop legend!
Benny Golson – Gone With Golson – Prestige/New Jazz Records NJLP 8235 (1960)/Craft Recordings CR00859 [7/25/2025] Original Jazz Classics 180-gram vinyl, 40:33 ****1/2:
(Benny Golson – tenor saxophone; Curtis Fuller – trombone; Ray Bryant – piano; Tom Bryant – double bass; Al Harewood – drums)
Philadelphia is renowned for its under-appreciated jazz history. Musicians who hailed from the city or developed their talent there are among the luminaries in this field. John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Shirley Scott, McCoy Tyner, Lee Morgan, Christian McBride and a host of others credit living there in the progression of their musical talent. Perhaps, the greatest Philadelphia jazz artist is tenor saxophonist, Benny Golson. He is celebrated for the jazztet with Art Farmer and as an influential composer of standards like “I Remember Clifford”, “Blues March”, “Stablemates”, “Killer Joe”, “Along Came Betty” and “Whisper Not”. Golson wrote for movies and television, including M*A*S*H, Mannix, Mission Impossible and Room 222. His legacy is a major influence on the hard bop movement.
Craft Recordings (as part of the vaunted Original Jazz Classics series) has released a 180-gram vinyl of the 1960 Prestige/New Jazz album, Gone With Golson. Joining this memorable session are Curtis Fuller (trombone), Ray Bryant (piano), Tom Bryant (double bass) and Al Harewood (drums). Golson does what he is noted for: composing (3 originals) arranging and sustaining collaborative energy with his band mates. (The Bryant brothers obviously help in this regard). Side A opens with a medium tempo Ray Bryant song, “Staccato Swing”. One of the strengths of this album is the interplay of Golson and Fuller. The duo play in spirited harmony with precision. Fuller takes the first solo with soul and purpose. Bryant’s piano runs are fluid and include chord modulation. Golson follows with a muscular, rhythmic journey that is compelling. “Autumn Leaves” is pure jazz balladry. Golson and Fuller engage in lyrical counterpoint on the first verse and switch to harmony in the chorus. Golson’s extended solo is complicated, near vibrato-free and underscores his artistic vision. Fuller is equally moving and injects some jazzy swing. Bryant meshes with the core style of the quintet with his jaunty notation. The first original (“Soul Me”) is an excursion into “secular gospel” (the Nat Hentoff liner notes are very incisive). After a dual intro, Golson executes another versatile solo that pushes the momentum and tonality. Fuller’s sonic landscape is fluid and his technical mastery is front and center. Bryant matches the dexterity and freewheeling attitude of this session.
Side B consists of two Golson-penned tunes. “Blues After Dark” has elements of a structured larger ensemble. He and Fuller create a unison lead in a late night bluesy, finger-snapping cadence. Golson’s saxophone is prominent and cuts deeply. Fuller (in tandem with bassist Tom Bryant who gets a solo) displays both grittiness and radiance. Harewood’s cohesive drumming is very effective. The song has the bluesy resonance of Fats Waller and the sophistication of Count Basie. The finale (“Jam For Bobbie”) is propulsive and driven by funky piano riffs. The horn/reed shading is fulsome and Golson and Fuller unleash furious improvisational exchanges that are magnetic.There is a high speed galloping bass and great drum fills. It burns with near- bebop intensity.
Kudos to Craft Recordings for this 1809-gram upgrade of an important, but less celebrated jazz legend. The iconic master tapes by Rudy Van Gelder are used in the re-mastering at Cohearent Audio (Kevin Gray) and pressed at RTI. This is a must for any jazz library!
Highly recommended!
—Robbie Gerson
Gone with Golson
TrackList:
Side A: Staccato Swing; Autumn Leaves; Soul Me
Side B: Blues After Dark; Jam For Bobbie
