A Master Class in Playing Jazz with Saxophonist Benny Golson: a Performance of "Along Came Betty"

In this clip from www.artistshousemusic.org - Saxophonist Benny Golson gives a performance of "Along Came Betty" in front of an audience of jazz students as the culmination of a master class in playing jazz held at Loyola University, New Orleans, and discusses how he wrote the song.

[@myingratealbinochild4825]

Not only does Benny play great, but he speaks beautifully.

[@realbro5548]

+1! A very entertaining & captivating gentleman

[@dwhiz11]

"Killer Joe" , in my humble opinion, ranks right up there with Miles' "All Blues" as among the coolest Jazz compositions ever since I heard it on my copy of the Benny Golson/Art Farmer septet many years ago. It never goes out of style, and this version is terrific!! Benny is a true artist!!

[@akayrk]

he's such a great storyteller. love him!

[@jean-lucbersou758]

A "SWEET CONVERSATION" ......and "ALONG CAME BEAUTY !!!!" Thanks it's so great !!

[@RonWeberdrjazz]

The drummer is Ocie Davis; pianist Fredrick Sanders; bassist David Pulphus.

[@frednormanguitarist6603]

Thank you, Benny Golson and AHM! This is STILL my favorite composition of Benny's. I lived in Europe in the 90s and I saw Benny in a nice jazz club near the German city of Ingolstadt called, "Birdland". I don't remember everyone who was in the group, but it was at least a quintet or sextet, but I DO remember the guitarist - it was Kenny Burrell. Benny asked the audience if they would like to hear one of his compositions and immediately I yelled, "Along Came Betty", and they played it. Benny Golson and Kenny Burrell in the same group...WOW!!! Benny, if you're watching, I recently added my solo-guitar rendition of your tune on my KZbin channel. I hope you like it...do you remember being in Ingolstadt when I saw you that night?

[@markbridwell8972]

This has gotta be Benny's most diverse & interesting solo on his own tune .

[@Samyham007]

That bass player is amazing!!

[@mariolongo7369]

Benny Golson! Among my favorites musicians 🎷❤

[@effsixteenblock50]

I love this tune and it's great to hear BG let us in on the back story. I know some folks like to do it in a latin style but I feel it so much more when it's swingin!

[@SvenSveetheart]

I always thought the song was about Betty Carter. Now I know the real story.

[@muhammadshakoor8745]

Me too because she was the only Betty(my favorite) I knew in Jazz 🎶

[@jazz4asahel]

Along Came Betty Pritchett. Benny Golson: what a guy.

[@tomsmith522]

A gentleman and a fine musician....🎶🎷🎵👏

[@rmoraespinto]

Slurring, cool playing by master composer and sax player BG! Thanks for up!

[@kltan7261]

Such a great composition. The genius of Benny Golson...

[@Dmajorjazz]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing such a great treasure.

[@martyg374]

Brilliant tune and playing by Benny

[@TheKierensaysmaybe]

It is simply tension and release brother, nothing more nothing less. He's speaking to you, and you've just got to listen to him.

[@Solvi27]

Loving the bass solo in Along Came Betty!

[@musiquesdereve188]

Great song , learned in a lot of school, the story is also unique thanks for sharing itjpascal

[@charlesbarry6730]

One of the great jazz composers.

[@eadgbepodcast]

This is great!! Thank you!

[@beeshor1]

Your statement says it all, pretty much. If you've never felt jazz or understood it, you will likely never get there. It's cool. I'm sure there is music that you do dig. Like some hip cat once said...."Everything ain't for everybody".

[@tomcooper1103]

I just love it, was dads dj when i was younger learned to enjoy good tunes.

[@saxophonemechanic5454]

These guys are masters, accolades!

[@skatersaxman]

Great Tone

[@BnBMusicLessons]

Awesome.

[@leoray1234]

As Louis Armstrong was quoted, 'if you gotta ask, you'll never know'..haha. But to try to put it in a nutshell, jazz is an american artform developed originally in new orleans that is based on individual improvisation over a musical structure. The structure can be anything from a 12-bar blues, to a 32-bar jazz standard, or a song from american popular culture...or really any song! Good jazz, like all good music, requires musicians with sensitive and sympathetic ears, and a similar audience.

[@SchmidtBo87]

Yeah, and think about how many styles are inspired by jazz! I actually can't think of any that isn't. I even heard like Black Metal musicians saying their had their formal foundations in jazz!

[@coporal4]

Yes

[@luisfernando-mm3jt]

Muito bom

[@leoray1234]

Actually, I think I'd take one step further back and talk about the influence of the blues on both jazz, rock, and gospel!

[@trestresbrel]

Le jazz est mon paradis

[@raefblack7906]

Definitely a clever individual.

[@simon12332]

Bassist manhandles that thing

[@djandersonny]

+Ben Tunnicliffe Yes, that’s some fine bass playing from David Pulphus, I’m glad you found out about him. Do you know who's on piano & drums? David Pulphus' site mentions the DVD which was produced from this Master Class, but he doesn't say who the other guys are. I love the look on Benny's face as he's digging the piano solo on Along Came Betty @ about 9:41.

[@willyounts3308]

Not sure if you're still wondering, but on drums is the great Ocie Davis.

[@AllisonMarquis]

Piano player got in the way of Benny's solo in the second tune

[@norabiddogz8673]

They were trading fours.

[@boomerang905]

Betty must have been something but Bobbie is even better because she shares a life with such a passionate man.

[@cjfl1962]

Anyone know kinda of neck strap he is using?

[@guanoleicester]

Blue 'n' Boogie starts at: 17:39

[@stangilmer]

Bad Cat baby.

[@timothyhunter2325]

Oh Yeah.....

[@Zxx459]

Great stories...back then before 60s there was much more real clubs of jazz NO STARBUCKS OR SPORT BARS

[@DeronePugh]

It is the best music...lol

[@atks2206]

whose the drummer? real swingin'!

[@elviraseger98]

who's in the band? more then benny.

[@makkreol]

I thought that was really good comping !

[@BruntPixels1234]

30:51 killer Joe.

[@BlueinGreen2]

Not sure if I like the recording placement of him. He's right up close in both ears. Swings hard but struggling to hear Benny.

[@joeklinck]

Jazz is the blues. Like Charles Mingus said "Charlie Parker was a blues player".

[@joeklinck]

***** Yes and no. Jazz uses the scales that are used in the blues but it also uses many others. It's more about what you're saying with the music than it is about what scales or notes you're playing. And in that sense they're very similar. Jazz is like a more harmonically and rhythmically complex version of the blues. The blues form is used in jazz very often, for example the Charlie Parker tune "Billie's Bounce".

[@seamothboy]

ok, i'm going to risk everyone's wrath. i always find benny's compositions a bit odd and uninspiring. however, that always changes when i hear him playing them, and then they make perfect sense

[@skatersaxman]

Well do something else

[@janiceparker1297]

How can a great player forget about his whole family back home in Pennsylvania !! I'm puzzled and I always heard about this man and never met him but money is the root of all evil so he probably thought we were going to ask for it all . Never turn you back on your family because at the end you have to be judged by the almighty for your sins !! A man we never met sad.

[@JS-dt1tn]

what are you even talking about

[@janiceparker1297]

I am one of many grands who always wanted to meet the jazz man Benny Golson. I'm 49yrs old and never or he never came to meet none of us.

[@pedroramos6472]

Family is important but how hard have you tried to meet him is my question no judgment but it takes two and being that he has committed his life to his craft this is a reason maybe he hasn’t reached out