Weekend Listening Tip: Green And Smulyan

The tip comes from Jim Wilke in Seattle, a suburb of Port Townsend.

Sunday, September 2nd on Jazz Northwest from 88.5 KPLU, the Benny Green Trio with special guest Gary Smulyan on baritone saxophone is heard in concert at Centrum’s Jazz Port Townsend. The concert was recorded in McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden on July 28, and consists of original music by Benny Green.

Benny Green has been a favorite at Jazz Port Townsend for years. He has been an active professional pianist since the 80s when he began his career with Betty Carter, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Freddie Hubbard. He has since made 15 albums as a leader himself. He previews some new music in this concert including several pieces titled with the names of Bop masters Jackie McLean, Harold Land and Sonny Clark, reflecting his interest and study of the originators of this music. Joining him in this trio are Ben Wolfe on bass and Rodney Green on drums.

Also joining the Benny Green Trio on three selections is the multi-award winning baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan, a leader in his own right and a first call baritone saxophonist on the New York scene. Gary Smulyan has played with Woody Herman, the Mel Lewis Orchestra under Bob Brookmeyer, The Mingus Epitaph band, and Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra among others. Both Benny Green and Gary Smulyan were on the faculty of the week-long jazz workshop that precedes the Jazz Port Townsend Festival each year.

Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by Jim Wilke, exclusively for 88.5 KPLU. The program airs Sundays at 1 PM PDT. It streams simultaneously to the internet on KPLU and is also available as a podcast at kplu.org following the airdate.

(Photos by Jim Levitt)