Benny Green

Nobody plays straight-ahead modern jazz piano with more swinging joy and finesse than Benny Green, the one-time Berkeley High wunderkind who developed his leanly lyrical and propulsive playing in the star-making bands of three powerful master musicians: singer Betty Carter, drummer Art Blakey, and bassist Ray Brown. Green performs solo for this concert, offering a precious glimpse into his unfiltered creative process.

A successful bandleader himself for over 35 years, Green has released a string of fine records, including Greens and Kaleidoscope on Blue Note, and Telarc’s Naturally with bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Russell Malone, as well as playing on scores of records by top artist like Diana Krall, Freddie Hubbard and Milt Jackson. In 1993, the great pianist Oscar Peterson picked Green to receive Toronto’s Glenn Gould International Protégé Prize in Music and later recorded the dazzling Oscar & Benny album with him.  

Green’s newest Sunnyside release, Solo, is his first solo piano recording in two decades and focuses on compositions from his greatest inspirations including Oscar Peterson, Cedar Walton, James Williams, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Timmons, Horace Silver, Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Kenny Drew, and of course, Thelonious Monk.