Backgrounder: Benny Golson and the Philadelphians

What made jazz recordings distinct from most other forms of American music were the different combinations of individuals who came together to to record. The results were often fascinating, with different musical personalities creating both contrasts and harmony as a unit and through improvisation. One such album was Benny Golson and the Philadelphians.

Recorded in November and December 1958 for United Artists, the LP featured five players who hailed from Philadelphia: Benny Golson (ts), Lee Morgan (tp), Ray Bryant (p), Percy Heath (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d). [Photo above of Benny Golson]

Tracks on the release are You're Not the Kind (Gigi Gryce), Blues on My Mind (Benny Golson), Stablemates (Golson), Thursday's Theme (Golson), Afternoon in Paris (John Lewis) and Calgary (Ray Bryant).

The joy of this album is how each artist has a different sound and attack, and brought something special to the mix: Benny's slippery and muscular saxophone, Morgan's piercing trumpet, Bryant's soul-jazz piano, Heath's swinging bass and Jones's sharp poly-rhythmic drums. Together and apart, they sounded fantastic.

Here's the full Benny Golson and the Philadelphians without ad interruptions...