Benny Green Trio

Benny Green's keyboard genius has accompanied the vocal artistry of Betty Carter and served in the ranks of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He replaced the great Gene Harris in the Ray Brown Trio before moving on to lead his own trio—now featuring ace bassist David Wong and Rodney Green (no relation) on drums. Despite flirtations with other styles of music, Green remains a respected “keeper of the hard bop flame.” He has always demonstrated a flair for tasteful swinging—an attribute that burns brightly under his own flawless technique and imaginative improvisations. Raised in Berkeley, California, Green grew up listening to his father's jazz records. An early favorite was Thelonious Monk, just one of the many great pianists who have influenced him. Benny started piano lessons at age six. By his teens, he was playing gigs with trumpeter Eddie Henderson and saxophonist Bobby Watson. He left the Bay Area for New York City and after four years with Betty Carter, Green was invited to join Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers—his childhood dream come true. In 1993, Benny joined the Ray Brown Trio and recorded BassFace: Live at the Kuumbwa, for Tel Arc Records. In 2013, he returned to Kuumbwa to mark the twentieth anniversary of Bassface with another in-concert recording, Benny Green Live in Santa Cruz! released last year. Benny's concerts are always an event to catch.